Nigeria has taken significant steps to strengthen both its global economic alliances and its leadership role in African peace and security, following high-level engagements with Vietnam and the African Union (AU) in Abuja.
In a move to deepen economic diplomacy, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, held strategic talks with Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Le Anh Tuan, where both countries reaffirmed their commitment to transforming longstanding bilateral relations into concrete economic gains.
The discussions focused on accelerating trade, investment and industrial cooperation, with emphasis on finalising key agreements such as investment protection and double taxation treaties to boost investor confidence. Vietnam highlighted the urgency of establishing strong legal frameworks to support expanding commercial ties.
Nigeria, on its part, signalled readiness to scale up engagement across multiple sectors, including plans for high-level visits and expanded cooperation in textiles. The Minister noted that Nigeria seeks to leverage Vietnam’s global success in textile manufacturing to revitalise its once-thriving industry through technology transfer, skills development and investment partnerships.
Both sides also explored opportunities within broader multilateral platforms, including South-South cooperation and emerging economic blocs, while emphasising the critical role of private sector participation in sustaining long-term bilateral growth.
Meanwhile, Nigeria reaffirmed its continental leadership credentials as it hosted a high-level delegation of the AU Peace and Security Council shortly after the conclusion of a joint consultative meeting with ECOWAS in Abuja.
Receiving the delegation, Ambassador Enikanolaiye reiterated Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to advancing peace, security, democratic governance and regional integration across Africa. He stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between continental and regional institutions to address rising threats such as terrorism, violent extremism and unconstitutional changes of government.
The Minister also raised concerns over recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, describing them as a violation of African unity and solidarity. He disclosed that the Federal Government had already evacuated affected Nigerians under the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emphasising that Africans must be able to live safely anywhere on the continent.
On peacekeeping, Nigeria called for sustainable and Africa-led financing mechanisms, warning that overreliance on external funding weakens ownership of peace operations. The Minister cited ECOWAS’ Community Levy as a model for strengthening the AU’s financial independence, while reaffirming support for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719.
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The AU delegation, led by Ambassador Nasir Aminu and Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, commended Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting stability and integration across Africa, pledging continued collaboration to tackle the continent’s evolving security challenges.
Both engagements underscore Nigeria’s dual-track foreign policy approach—expanding global economic partnerships while reinforcing its strategic influence in African peace and security architecture.
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