The Federal Government announced on Thursday that Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement, a vital legal framework designed to enhance cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU). This agreement aims to promote sustainable development, combat climate change, generate investment opportunities, and foster collaboration among OACPS member states on the international stage.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that Nigeria officially signed the Samoa Agreement on June 28, 2024, at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. This partnership agreement involves the EU and its member states and the OACPS member states.
"Negotiations for the agreement began in 2018 during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. It was initially signed in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS member states," Idris explained.
The Samoa Agreement contains 103 articles, which include a common foundational compact and three regional protocols: Africa-EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU. Each regional protocol addresses specific regional issues. The African Regional Protocol, for example, covers Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Development, Human and Social Development, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Security, Human Rights, Democracy and Governance, and Migration and Mobility.
Idris emphasized that the agreement was signed after extensive reviews and consultations by the Inter-ministerial Committee, which included the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Federal Ministry of Justice. These reviews confirmed that none of the 103 articles contravened Nigeria's 1999 Constitution or its laws.
Additionally, Nigeria’s endorsement included a Statement of Declaration dated June 26, 2024, which clarified that any provision inconsistent with Nigerian laws would be considered invalid.
"The President Bola Tinubu administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that will harm the interests of the country and its citizens. Our officials strictly adhered to the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS during the negotiation process," Idris assured.
He noted that only five of the 79 OACPS member states, including Equatorial Guinea, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Nauru, and Tuvalu, have yet to sign the agreement. All 27 EU member states signed it on November 15, 2023.
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