Nigeria and The Gambia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with both countries agreeing to revive the Nigeria-Gambia Joint Commission to unlock new opportunities for cooperation and review existing agreements.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and The Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Sering Modou Njie, on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye described relations between Nigeria and The Gambia as cordial and longstanding, expressing his determination to deepen the existing brotherly ties through enhanced collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
“Nigeria and The Gambia have enjoyed excellent bilateral relations over the years. We are committed to enhancing these brotherly ties and exploring new opportunities for collaboration that will be of mutual benefit to our two countries,” the Minister said.
In his remarks, Minister Njie congratulated Ambassador Enikanolaiye on his appointment and welcomed his initiative to foster closer engagement between the two nations.
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He praised Nigeria’s longstanding support for The Gambia, particularly its decisive leadership during the country’s 2017 political impasse, noting that Nigeria’s intervention played a significant role in restoring political stability and laying the foundation for the country’s current development.
“The Gambia remains grateful to Nigeria for the leadership role it played during our political impasse in 2017. Nigeria’s timely intervention remains indelible in our nation’s history and has greatly contributed to the political stability and development we enjoy today,” Njie stated.
The Gambian Foreign Minister also commended Nigeria’s continued assistance through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), whose volunteers have contributed to capacity building in education, healthcare and the legal sector.
He further acknowledged Nigeria’s contributions to regional peace through the deployment of troops to the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) and the training of Gambian military personnel in Nigerian military academies.
Responding, Ambassador Enikanolaiye expressed appreciation for the enduring friendship between both countries and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to promoting pan-African unity, solidarity and sustainable development.
“Nigeria remains committed to promoting pan-African unity, solidarity and development. Through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, we will continue to deploy highly qualified professionals to support manpower development across Africa and the Caribbean in line with the needs of our partner countries,” he said.
Both ministers agreed that reviving the Nigeria-Gambia Joint Commission would provide an effective framework for reviewing dormant bilateral agreements, identifying new areas of partnership and further strengthening the longstanding relationship between the two West African nations.
