Nigeria and Senegal have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with both countries agreeing to enhance political cooperation, revive their Joint Commission, and expand trade and economic collaboration.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Senegal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Niang, on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
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During the meeting, Ambassador Enikanolaiye praised the longstanding cordial relationship between Nigeria and Senegal and expressed his determination to further deepen the brotherly ties between both nations.
He stressed the importance of maintaining direct communication between foreign ministers, free from unnecessary bureaucracy, to promote closer consultation and collaboration on bilateral and multilateral issues.
“Closer communication between our ministers, devoid of bureaucracy, will strengthen consultation and cooperation on issues of mutual interest,” Enikanolaiye said.
The minister also called for the revival of the Nigeria-Senegal Joint Commission, describing it as an important platform for identifying new areas of cooperation and advancing the shared interests of both countries.
He emphasized the need to improve trade and commercial relations, noting that the strong political ties enjoyed by Nigeria and Senegal should translate into tangible economic benefits for their citizens.
“The excellent political relations between our two countries should translate into economic benefits for our people,” he added.
In his response, Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, congratulated Ambassador Enikanolaiye on his recent appointment and welcomed his initiative to foster closer cooperation between the two countries.
Niang also commended the Nigerian minister’s contributions during the ECOWAS Council of Ministers’ meeting, describing his interventions as “knowledge-based and expertise-driven.”
“These qualities are needed in our regional engagements,” the Senegalese foreign minister said, while expressing confidence that closer collaboration between both ministers would strengthen consultation on matters of common interest.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to building on the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and Senegal through enhanced diplomatic engagement, stronger economic cooperation, and closer coordination within ECOWAS and other regional and international forums.
