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our Excellency, let us start by knowing what brings you to Nigeria. How this visit aligns with the EU border strategy priorities in the Sahel and West Africa?
Well, firstly, Nigeria was my first port of call when I took office, which was on the 1st of December, and I came to Abuja early December for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit. Therefore, Nigeria was my first place to stop. However, at the time, it was not possible to engage in a deeper manner with the Nigerian authorities on the challenges of the Sahel. Since then, I have visited a number of countries, particularly those of the Central Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. It was time to come back and speak with Nigeria – the country that is the big giant of the region.
