Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City, has pledged to establish a sister city agreement between New York and Lagos to boost economic development if elected mayor in the forthcoming November election.
Mr Adams disclosed this at the ‘Meet and Greet Fundraiser for the 2021 New York City Mayoral Election’ organised by the Nigerian-American community in New York.
The Brooklyn Borough president said he went to Goree Island, Senegal, and established a sister city agreement between the Island and Brooklyn three years ago.
“We are going to do something specifically for the African continent. We are going to renew our relationship. We are now going to start a sister city agreement with all the major cities on the continent of Africa,” Mr Adams further stated. “We are going to Lagos to develop a relationship, we are going to trade culture, we are going to trade education, and we are going to trade business interest.”
A sister city agreement signifies a long-term partnership between two communities in two countries that touches on cultural exchange, economic development, and other important areas.
“We will build the partnership, the partnership that will become a relationship that I will not be the one that is dictating to you but a relationship that we will sit down at the table and ask you what you need,” he added. “A relationship of how to use the role as a mayor to assist you, empower you in your community.’’
Mr Adams also pledged to support African leaders by hosting them during the annual UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
“When we will have the UN General Assembly, we are going to host all the African leaders that are coming into America,” he pledged. “They are going to be part of delegation and ceremony of how we reunite the African spirit here in New York and all on the continent of Africa.”
