The Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the Republic of Rwanda through enhanced trade, investment, regional security cooperation and increased private sector participation.
The Honourable Minister gave the assurance on Thursday, 23 July 2026, while receiving the High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Moses Rugema, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the current state of Nigeria-Rwanda relations and explored practical measures for advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Ambassador Rugema conveyed the warm greetings of the Government of Rwanda and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to further strengthening the longstanding cordial relations between both countries. He noted that Nigeria and Rwanda have continued to enjoy excellent diplomatic ties anchored on mutual respect, African solidarity and shared aspirations for peace, regional integration and sustainable development.
The Rwandan High Commissioner underscored the importance of convening the next session of the Nigeria-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), noting that technical consultations were already underway towards concluding outstanding bilateral agreements. He also proposed the setting up of a Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum to facilitate greater collaboration between the private sectors of both countries, while highlighting the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for expanding trade and investment.
Ambassador Rugema further identified priority sectors for enhanced cooperation to include trade and investment, information and communication technology, healthcare, agriculture, peace and security, defence cooperation and capacity building, expressing confidence that closer collaboration would promote economic growth and regional stability.
In his remarks, Ambassador Enikanolaiye welcomed the High Commissioner and stressed the need to translate the excellent political relations between Nigeria and Rwanda into tangible economic outcomes through increased private sector engagement, expanded trade and greater investment. He emphasised that governments should continue to provide an enabling environment for businesses to drive sustainable economic cooperation and development.
On regional peace and security, both sides acknowledged the complex security challenges facing the African continent and underscored the importance of enhanced collaboration among African countries in combating terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organized crime. They agreed that African-led solutions, strengthened defence cooperation, and sustained dialogue remain essential to achieving lasting peace and stability across the continent.
The Honourable Minister of State also highlighted the value of sharing experiences and best practices in governance, human security, infrastructure development, education and public service delivery, noting that stronger continental cooperation would contribute significantly to the realisation of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expediting ongoing bilateral initiatives, including the convening of the Joint Permanent Commission and the proposed Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum. They expressed confidence that these mechanisms would further strengthen trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges while opening new opportunities for strategic cooperation between Nigeria and Rwanda.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction with the excellent state of bilateral relations and their determination to continue working closely to advance shared interests in peace, security, economic cooperation and sustainable development.
Signed:
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, anipr
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
Friday 24, July 2026
