Ministerial nominee Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has called for more commitment to the peace and unity of the country.
She made the call during the ministerial screening before the Senate in plenary on Wednesday.
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, she said: “I am here because I believe that if we are able to come together sincerely, to commit to serving this nation, focusing on ensuring that we have peace, then the sky is the limit for this country”.
She highlighted the importance of diplomatic and cultural engagement as key to national growth.
She explained that during her tenure as ambassador, she represented the country on various international platforms, notably building a bridge between Nigeria and Spain.
Ojukwu who is designate Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said that her work earned her the prestigious title of Africa’s Most Outstanding Ambassador.
She said that the combined efforts of cultural, governmental and diplomatic organisations could drive transformative change.
Ojukwu, while responding to questions from the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, expressed concern on the state of Nigerian embassies across the globe.
“As a former ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, I spent an entire year in one hotel room because when I got to Spain, the mission building was in such an appalling condition.
“With the recruiting and training of officers, we conducted a massive preservation of works, not just the mission building itself, giving Nigeria a name that is truly deserving of a designation of outstanding.
“The Nigerian Embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country.
“Today, the Nigerian Embassy in Spain is magnificent. The building was not only that, the residence of the ambassador was also given a facelift”.