By Gabriel Ameh
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the Republic of Rwanda through expanded trade, investment, regional security cooperation and increased private sector participation.
The assurance was given by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, during a courtesy visit by the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Moses Rugema, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
During the meeting, both countries reviewed the current state of diplomatic relations and explored practical steps to deepen cooperation in key sectors of mutual interest.
Ambassador Rugema conveyed greetings from the Government of Rwanda and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding relationship with Nigeria.
He described the partnership as one built on mutual respect, African solidarity and shared aspirations for peace, regional integration and sustainable development.
The Rwandan envoy called for the early convening of the next session of the Nigeria-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), noting that technical discussions are already underway to conclude pending bilateral agreements.
He also proposed the establishment of a Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum to promote stronger collaboration between the private sectors of both countries and maximise opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to the High Commissioner, priority areas for enhanced cooperation include trade and investment, information and communication technology (ICT), agriculture, healthcare, peace and security, defence cooperation and capacity building.
In his remarks, Ambassador Enikanolaiye stressed the need to translate the strong political relationship between both countries into tangible economic benefits through greater trade, investment and private sector engagement.
He noted that governments must continue to create an enabling environment that allows businesses to drive sustainable economic growth and development.
On regional peace and security, both countries acknowledged the growing security challenges confronting Africa and called for stronger collaboration in tackling terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime.
They agreed that African-led solutions, strengthened defence cooperation and sustained diplomatic engagement remain critical to achieving lasting peace and stability across the continent.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of sharing best practices in governance, infrastructure development, education, public service delivery and human security, noting that deeper continental cooperation would support the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Both Nigeria and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating ongoing bilateral initiatives, including the Joint Permanent Commission and the proposed Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum, expressing confidence that the initiatives would strengthen trade, investment and people-to-people relations while creating new opportunities for strategic cooperation.
The meeting ended with both countries expressing satisfaction with the strong state of bilateral relations and their determination to deepen cooperation in peace, security, economic development and regional integration.
