By Chesa Chesa
Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in technology, agriculture, commerce and renewable energy, among other areas of strategic interest.
The agreement was reached on Wednesday when Vice President Kashim Shettima received a delegation from Thailand led by its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Yousef Hassan Khalawi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Shettima, who spoke on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said Nigeria was seeking a strategic review of its existing bilateral relationship with Thailand to expand cooperation beyond traditional areas such as crude oil and rice production.
He said Thailand’s comparative advantage in intermediate technology, particularly in agriculture, could help Nigeria unlock opportunities in the sector.
“I believe that our relationship should go beyond transactions in crude oil, rice production and so on. So, there is a need for us to review our bilateral relationship at a strategic level,” Shettima said.
According to him, Nigeria’s large market, young population and abundant natural resources offer significant opportunities for investment and partnerships.
“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,” he added.
The Vice President urged Thailand to deepen business and investment activities in Nigeria, stressing the country’s strategic position on the African continent and its demographic advantages.
Earlier, Khalawi, who is on his first visit to Africa, described Nigeria as a strategic partner to Thailand and praised the transformation taking place under the Tinubu administration.
He described Nigeria as a strong voice in the Global South and an emerging leader in e-commerce.
The Thai Deputy Prime Minister disclosed that his country was proposing a new Thailand-Africa Initiative aimed at strengthening economic and people-to-people ties between Thailand and key African countries.
He said the initiative would place particular emphasis on economic cooperation in agriculture, while also exploring Thailand’s expertise in universal health coverage and tourism.
“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,” Khalawi said.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed; Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Thirapath Mongkolnavin; and other senior officials from the foreign affairs ministries of both countries.
