Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Government is convinced that the implementation of the Plan requires the understanding, support and cooperation of the international community. This, therefore, presents the international community, particularly diplomatic missions in Nigeria, with four distinct, inter-related and persistent challenges. the first is the challenge of accurate reporting of verified and verifiable information. In recent times, some countries have issued travel advisories to their nationals against visiting Nigeria, ostensibly on account of the situation in the Niger Delta. It is common knowledge that the criminal actions of a few fortune seekers in the region do not warrant the designation of Nigeria as a perilous environment any more than similar incidents in other countries could earn then such a tag.

Hostage taking is a heinous crime that cannot be justified under any guise. It is even more despicable when children, the old and the infirm become victims. No Government can tolerate such odious criminal and terrorist acts perpetrated by a few miscreants in its midst.

The second challenge is to assist in identifying and stemming the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons to the militants, so as to deny the criminals the sources of supply of weapons. It is evident that the arms being used to destabilize the region are not manufactured from Nigeria. It is, indeed, in the interest of all stake-holders including diplomatic missions in Nigeria, to partner with the Federal Government in stemming the tide of illegal arms transfers into the region.

Countries of origin of arms manufacturers have a moral political obligation to forge a strong partnership with us for exchange of information, including enforcement of local and international law on this matter. We expect that the international campaign against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, including adherence to regional and sub-regional arrangements and convections on this pernicious trade, should be stepped up.

Close collaboration and partnership in the implementation of the master plan is a third challenge. There are immense opportunities to partner with the Federal, State and Local Governments, including the local communities in the nine sectors of the plan. In addition, the oil companies must move beyond sheer tokenism in the discharge of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the local communities, in terms of the environment and the promotion of development projects that impact on the lives of the people. Finally, there is the fourth challenge of sustainable engagement with those with direct responsibility for the implementation of the Plan, including the oil and gas companies.

 The current Administration has adopted a holistic approach to the search for durable peace and stability in the region. The first segment of our strategy is to tackle, head-on, the security and criminal aspects of the situation. The second is a faithful implementation of the Master Plan, which seeks to address the root cause of restiveness, including the massive injection of funds for the rapid transformation of the region. Above all, the conceptualization and implementation of this two-pronged strategy is anchored on wide, broad-based consultation through intensive dialogue and constructive engagement with all state-holders in the Niger Delta.

Even the current military operation by the Joint Task Force is as a matter of policy, carefully calibrated and measured, very proportional, and deliberately designed to minimize casualties. For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is not at war with itself or any of its constituent units. We will, therefore, continue to explore and purse all peaceful means of resolving the problem.

I am pleased to note, in this regard, that the security situation in the Niger Delta, today, has improved significantly, based on decisive steps taken by the Government to put an end to wanton acts of criminality and brigandage by misguided militants and cultists in the region. We believe that acknowledgement can be made of past neglect with attendant mechanisms to redress same by Government.

With us here, this afternoon, are some key decision makers and stakeholders in "the" Niger Delta. In fact, this forum was conceived to enable you, representatives of the international community, interact very freely with them. I urge you to seize this opportunity to raise any issues of concern to you. I hope that our answers and clarifications would enhance and correct your perspectives on the Niger Delta situation while allaying some of the fears you may have nursed on the matter.

Since this is my maiden interaction with the Diplomatic Corps, let me seize this opportunity to raise one other issue of persistent concern to the Government. This is the spate allegation of indignities suffered by Nigerian nationals in various parts of the world. The incident of Nigerians losing their lives in the course of encounters with law-enforcement agencies, often in controversial circumstances in many countries, has attained disturbing, and unacceptable proportions.
Government is no less concerned about accounts of unsavoury experiences of Nigerian visa applicants within our own shores. The long queues of Nigerians seeking visas, sometimes, in front of Missions for long hours in inclement weather, without even the most basic environmental protection offered by Embassies worldwide are not only unsightly but degrading.

A great majority of Nigerians are making significant contributions to the growth and development of their adopted countries of abode, which must be acknowledged and celebrated. They are equally contributing immensely to the development of the country back home. In this sense, migration has its costs and benefits, not only to countries of origin but also to the destination countries.

What is required, therefore, is a more humane approach to the challenge of migration and the need to respect the minimum rights of immigrants, no matter their status. No Government, certainly not our Administration, can afford to watch helplessly at the continued dehumanization of its citizens in the name of visa application. Visa applicants must be accorded minimum treatment of civility, non-discrimination, fairness, dignity and decency. This is consistent with international obligations freely entered into by the civilized world. I, therefore, urge all diplomatic and consular missions accredited to Nigeria, including countries in which Nigerians are resident abroad, to respect their obligations and abide by acceptable universal standards in the treatment of Nigerians.

In furtherance of our mutual desire to elevate relations between Nigeria and your respective countries, for the mutual benefit of our peoples, I intend to hold these interactive sessions with you on a regular basis to discuss other matters of concern and interest to Nigeria.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me, at this juncture, express my deep thanks for your attention. I encourage you to freely participate in the discussions today, which are aimed at finding solutions to the challenges of the Niger Delta,  in the context of excellent bilateral relations that happily exist between Nigeria and your respective countries.

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