Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have renewed their longstanding ties and set the stage for deeper bilateral cooperation during a high-level diplomatic engagement between senior officials of both countries.
The meeting, held in Abuja, Nigeria, brought together the Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fafinyidé Amour-Marie Ako, alongside senior diplomats and directors from both sides.
Ambassador Ako opened the dialogue by expressing Benin’s profound gratitude to Nigeria for its solidarity following the recent coup d’état in Benin.
He described Nigeria as a reliable neighbor whose leadership continues to shape peace and stability in West Africa.
“Benin is truly fortunate to have Nigeria as a neighbour – a nation whose support and leadership strengthen peace and stability in our region,” he said.
He further outlined Benin’s plans to dispatch a delegation to Nigeria to operationalise a new framework for enhanced cooperation.
Central to this initiative is a proposed diplomatic exchange programme aimed at fostering stronger institutional ties between the foreign services of both countries.
The programme seeks to promote deeper understanding of foreign policy priorities, encourage real-time information-sharing, and build long-term professional networks among diplomats.
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Benin also requested Nigeria’s support in developing its nascent diplomatic training centre, with a particular interest in partnering with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
According to Ambassador Ako, collaboration in areas such as bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and negotiation skills would significantly strengthen Benin’s diplomatic capacity.
Similarly, Ambassador Ahmed reaffirmed Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to democracy, regional stability, and the enduring brotherhood shared with Benin.
He emphasised that both countries are bound by history, culture, and shared aspirations.
“Anything that affects Benin affects Nigeria,” he stated, assuring that Nigeria stands ready to deepen cooperation across diplomacy, security, and economic development.
He welcomed the proposed exchange programme and instructed relevant departments to fast-track discussions on The memorandum of Understanding.
Ambassador Ahmed noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s foreign policy focus under the “4Ds” Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora, the central thrust of the present administration.
He added that Nigeria’s on going interstate knowledge-sharing programmes present opportunities that can be extended to strengthen cooperation with Benin.
The Permanent Secretary also encouraged collaboration with key institutions such as the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), highlighting leadership development, conflict prevention, and capacity-building as critical areas for mutual benefit.
He affirmed that Nigeria possess the expertise and human resources to support Benin in institutional strengthening and sectoral reforms.
Economic Cooperation
On economic cooperation, Ambassador Ahmed underscored the growing importance of intra-African trade amid evolving global economic dynamics.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing bilateral trade agreements and pledged to expedite Nigeria’s submission of stakeholders required for the joint MOU process.
Benin additionally requested Nigeria’s support in mobilising its business community for the 2026 Cultural and Business Forum scheduled to hold on 26 January in Abuja and 28 January in Lagos.
The engagement reaffirmed the determination of Nigeria and Benin to strengthen their deep-rooted relationship and to build a more strategic, institutionalised, and mutually beneficial partnership across diplomacy, trade, culture, and security.
Oyenike Oyeniyi