President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria's size and resources have imposed on her a stabilising role in the West African sub-region and the African continent as a whole.
Garba Shehu, the president's spokesman, in a statement, said Buhari stated this when he received a message from President Ibrahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) from a Special Envoy at the State House, on Friday in Abuja.
According to the Nigerian leader, peace and stability are central to the vision of Nigeria in Africa, adding that these are essential to security and prosperity in the continent.
He thanked the President of the Sahrawi Republic for the message he sent and gave an assurance that he would study its content and brief the incoming president, Bola Tinubu, on their concerns.
He urged the Special Envoy to make the effort to brief the incoming president as well.
The Special Envoy, Mohammed Saleh, who was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, now Minister of Diplomatic Affairs, recalled the role of Buhari, in 1983 as Military Head of State, as being the first African leader to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
This, he said, paved the way thereby for its recognition by the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union.
"History will not forget your important role in leading the fight for African freedom using money, arms and diplomacy in the African Union and the United Nations to secure independence for South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia for, without this, these nations would not have been free," the Envoy noted.
Saleh expressed the sadness of his country in Buhari leaving office and expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration would maintain the same interest in the independence struggle.
He urged the president to continue to maintain relevance in the affairs of the SADR and that of the entire continent.
Buhari accepted the request of the president of the Sahrawi Republic to participate in the inaugural events ushering in the new Nigerian president in May.