Nigeria and Thailand to Strengthen Ties in Key Sectors

Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to improve their relationship in areas like technology, agriculture, trade, and renewable energy.

Nigeria wants to review the current partnerships with Thailand. This will help Nigeria use Thailand’s skills in applying technology to agriculture and other related fields.

Thailand is also suggesting a Thailand-Africa Initiative. This plan aims to enhance connections between Thailand and important African countries. The focus will be on improving people-to-people relationships, economic ties, and cooperation, especially in agriculture.

These points came up during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a Thai delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Yousef Khalawi. This meeting took place on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Mr Shettima praised the friendly relationship between Nigeria and Thailand. He said, "I believe that our relationship should go beyond transactions in crude oil, rice production and so on. So, there is a need for us to review our bilateral relationship at a strategic level."

He pointed out that Nigeria is a large market with many opportunities for investment in agriculture, ICT, renewable energy, and solid minerals. He added, "We have a young population and workforce."

The Vice President encouraged the Thai government and people to keep doing business with Nigeria. He highlighted Nigeria's significant position in Africa, its demographic advantage, and its rich natural resources.

Deputy Prime Minister Khalawi, who is visiting Africa for the first time, commended the changes happening in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He called Nigeria a strategic partner for Thailand and praised it as a strong voice in the global south and an emerging leader in e-commerce.

He mentioned that Thailand is excited about the Thailand-Africa Initiative. This new partnership aims to strengthen economic ties and improve business and people-to-people relationships.

Khalawi also noted that a key part of this initiative will be to promote economic cooperation, especially in agriculture. He wants to explore Thailand’s strengths in Universal Health Coverage and Tourism, among other areas.

He said, "For us in Thailand, we believe that Nigeria is a strategic partner bilaterally and an important window to strengthening ties with Africa, particularly West Africa."

Other officials who attended the meeting included Dunoma Ahmed, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Thai Ambassador to Nigeria, Thirapath Mongkolnavin, along with other top officials from the Foreign Affairs ministries of both countries.