Nigeria, Thailand seek deeper ties in agriculture, technology, renewable energy
Abdullateef Fowewe
Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in technology, agriculture, commerce, renewable energy and other strategic sectors following talks between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a Thai delegation in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Nigeria was seeking a strategic review of existing partnerships, particularly by drawing on Thailand’s experience in intermediate agricultural technology.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Shettima said relations between both countries should move beyond traditional trade links.
“I believe that our relationship should go beyond transactions in crude oil, rice production and so on. So, there is a need for us to review our bilateral relationship at a strategic level,” the Vice President said.
Shettima described Nigeria as a major investment destination, citing its market size, youthful population, workforce and natural-resource base.
“Nigeria is a large market. There are enormous opportunities for partnership and investment in agriculture, ICT, renewable energy, and solid minerals, and we have a young population and workforce,” he said.
The Vice President urged Thailand to expand its commercial engagement with Nigeria, stressing the country’s strategic location in Africa, demographic advantage and access to regional markets.
The Thai delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Yousef Hassan Khalawi, who proposed a Thailand-Africa Initiative intended to deepen people-to-people contacts, business links and economic cooperation between Thailand and African countries.
Khalawi, who was on his first visit to Africa, described Nigeria as a strategic Thai partner, a strong voice in the Global South and an emerging e-commerce leader. He also praised what he described as the ongoing transformation under the Tinubu administration.
“For us in Thailand, we believe that Nigeria is a strategic partner bilaterally and an important window to strengthening ties with Africa, particularly West Africa,” Khalawi said.
He said the proposed Thailand-Africa Initiative would focus strongly on agriculture, while also exploring cooperation in areas where Thailand has experience, including universal health coverage and tourism.
Officials at the meeting included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Thirapath Mongkolnavin, alongside senior foreign affairs officials from both countries.
