Amb Enikanolaiye Receives Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Commits to Deepening Trade, Security, Investment Cooperation
Oru Leonard
Nigeria and the Republic of Rwanda have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations through enhanced trade, investment, regional security cooperation and greater private sector engagement.
The commitment was reiterated when the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, received the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Moses Rugema, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Thursday.
During the meeting, both countries reviewed the current state of Nigeria-Rwanda relations and explored practical measures to expand cooperation in key sectors of mutual interest.
Ambassador Rugema conveyed greetings from the Government of Rwanda and reaffirmed Kigali’s commitment to strengthening the longstanding cordial ties between both nations. He described Nigeria and Rwanda’s relationship as one built on mutual respect, African solidarity and shared aspirations for peace, regional integration and sustainable development.
The envoy emphasized the need to convene the next session of the Nigeria-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), noting that technical consultations were already underway to conclude outstanding bilateral agreements. He also proposed the establishment of a Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum to boost private sector collaboration and leverage opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to the High Commissioner, priority areas for expanded cooperation include trade and investment, information and communication technology, healthcare, agriculture, defence, peace and security, as well as capacity building.
Responding, Ambassador Enikanolaiye welcomed the proposals and stressed the need to translate the strong political relationship between both countries into concrete economic benefits through increased trade, investment and private sector participation.
He noted that governments should continue to create an enabling environment that allows businesses to drive sustainable economic cooperation and development.
On regional peace and security, both sides acknowledged Africa’s evolving security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organized crime. They agreed that stronger defence cooperation, sustained dialogue and African-led solutions remain critical to achieving lasting peace and stability across the continent.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of exchanging best practices in governance, infrastructure development, education, public service delivery and human security, noting that deeper collaboration would advance the goals of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA.
Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to fast-tracking ongoing bilateral initiatives, including the convening of the Joint Permanent Commission and the proposed Nigeria-Rwanda Business Forum, expressing confidence that the initiatives would unlock greater trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
The meeting ended with both countries expressing satisfaction with the state of bilateral relations and reaffirming their determination to work closely in advancing peace, security, economic cooperation and sustainable development across Africa.
