Nigeria, Vietnam Deepen Strategic Partnership to Boost Trade, Investment
Oru Leonard
Nigeria and Vietnam have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with a renewed focus on expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation between both countries.
This followed a meeting between the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Le Anh Tuan, alongside members of the Vietnamese delegation in Abuja.
At the meeting, both countries agreed on the need to translate their longstanding political goodwill into tangible economic and commercial benefits for their citizens through stronger institutional and private sector partnerships.
The Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the importance of concluding and implementing key bilateral agreements, including Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), investment promotion and protection agreements, and agreements on the avoidance of double taxation. He said the legal frameworks would enhance investor confidence and facilitate greater business activities between both countries.
Responding, Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Vietnam across political, economic, commercial and technical sectors. He emphasised the importance of sustained high-level exchanges and reciprocal official visits, expressing Nigeria’s readiness to undertake an official visit to Vietnam while welcoming discussions on a future state visit by President of Nigeria.
The minister said Nigeria’s engagement with Vietnam aligns with the Federal Government’s policy of Strategic Autonomy, aimed at expanding mutually beneficial partnerships based on national interest, mutual respect and shared prosperity.
He identified the textile and garment industry as a priority area for collaboration, noting Vietnam’s global success in textile manufacturing and exports. According to him, Nigeria intends to partner with Vietnam to revive its once-thriving textile industry through investment, technology transfer, industrial cooperation and skills development.
Enikanolaiye also called for stronger collaboration between the organised private sectors of both countries, including their respective chambers of commerce, to stimulate investments, manufacturing partnerships, technology transfer and increased commercial exchanges.
Earlier, Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister led his delegation in bilateral talks with the Nigerian delegation headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed.
Ahmed commended the cordial relationship that has existed between Nigeria and Vietnam for over five decades and expressed confidence that both countries would benefit from deeper collaboration across key sectors.
Both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and agreed to intensify high-level engagements and institutional consultations. They also discussed preparations for future official visits and the proposed Agreement on Political Consultations between their foreign ministries, with plans to hold the inaugural Political Consultation Session in Vietnam in 2027.
The Permanent Secretary further reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), recalling Nigeria’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in September 2021.
He also reiterated Nigeria’s support for stronger cooperation between ASEAN, the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS in promoting peace, economic integration, sustainable development and multilateral collaboration.
