Nigeria, Thailand Move to Deepen Bilateral Ties in Agriculture, Technology, Renewable Energy
Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in key sectors including agriculture, technology, commerce, renewable energy, tourism and healthcare.
The commitment was made on Wednesday when Vice President Kashim Shettima received a high-level delegation from the Kingdom of Thailand led by its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, H.E. Yousef Hassan Khalawi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the meeting, Shettima said Nigeria was interested in reviewing existing bilateral partnerships with Thailand to identify new areas of strategic cooperation and investment.
The Vice President said the relationship between both countries should extend beyond traditional areas such as crude oil and rice production, stressing the need for a broader economic partnership that reflects Nigeria’s growing market and investment opportunities.
“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,” Shettima said.
He particularly highlighted Thailand’s experience in deploying intermediate technology in agriculture and related sectors, saying Nigeria could benefit from deeper cooperation in areas that would improve agricultural productivity and economic development.
Shettima also encouraged Thai businesses and investors to expand their presence in Nigeria, citing the country’s strategic position in Africa, large consumer market, young population and abundant natural resources.
Thailand Proposes Thailand-Africa Initiative
Earlier, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Khalawi, described Nigeria as a strategic partner and an important gateway for strengthening Thailand’s relations with Africa, particularly West Africa.
He disclosed that Thailand was proposing a new Thailand-Africa Initiative designed to deepen people-to-people relations, economic ties, business cooperation and broader engagement between Thailand and African countries.
According to him, agriculture would be a major component of the proposed initiative, while Thailand also hopes to share its experience in areas such as Universal Health Coverage and tourism.
Khalawi, who is on his first visit to Africa, described Nigeria as a strong voice in the Global South and an emerging leader in e-commerce.
“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,” he said.
The proposed partnership is expected to create new opportunities for investment, technology transfer, trade and skills development while strengthening economic and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Thailand.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed; Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Thirapath Mongkolnavin; and other senior officials from both countries.
The renewed engagement signals Nigeria’s continued efforts to diversify its international economic partnerships and attract investment, technology and expertise into sectors critical to national development.
Nigeria, Thailand Move to Deepen Bilateral Ties in Agriculture, Technology, Renewable Energy