Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Portuguese Republic, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Ahmed Monguno, have formally presented their Letters of Credence, marking the official commencement of their diplomatic assignments.
At a ceremony held at the Belém Palace in Lisbon, Ambassador Adebayo presented her Letters of Credence to the President of Portugal, António José Seguro.
According to the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the presentation of the Letters of Credence reaffirms the longstanding cordial relations between Nigeria and Portugal, built on mutual respect, friendship and cooperation.
During her audience with the Portuguese President, Ambassador Adebayo conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Bola Tinubu, as well as those of the Government and people of Nigeria.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to “strengthening bilateral relations with Portugal, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, maritime security, energy, agriculture, education, cultural exchange, tourism and multilateral cooperation”.
According to the Spokesperson, “the Ambassador also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to promoting economic diplomacy and enhancing collaboration on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate action, and the Africa–European Union Partnership.”
President Seguro welcomed Ambassador Adebayo to Portugal and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening relations with Nigeria.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic role on the African continent and described the country as an important partner in advancing cooperation between Africa and Europe.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, “President Seguro said Portugal remains committed to expanding cooperation with Nigeria across areas of shared interest.”
Ambassador Adebayo pledged to work closely with the Portuguese Government, the diplomatic community, the private sector and the Nigerian community in Portugal to further strengthen the existing bonds of friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation between both countries.
Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Ahmed Monguno, also presented copies of his Letters of Credence (copie d’usage) to the Chief of Protocol at Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador El-Desouky Yousef.
The presentation, which took place in Cairo on Tuesday, marks another key step towards the formal commencement of Ambassador Monguno’s diplomatic mission in Egypt, pending the presentation of his Letters of Credence to the Egyptian President.
