Nigeria, Italy To Deepen Bilateral Ties

Nigeria and Italy are now committed to deepen their bilateral ties, which underscored their shared interests in sustainable development, food security, and economic cooperation.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated this when the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, paid her a courtesy visit in her office in Abuja on Monday.

She acknowledged and urged the sustenance of joint dedication to combating illegal migration, human trafficking, and transnational crime by both countries while inviting deeper Italian engagement in Nigeria’s economic reform agenda, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, agribusiness, and infrastructure.

The minister also called for Italy’s technical support in Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts, highlighting the importance of ease of mobility as a catalyst for trade, investment, education, and cultural exchange between the two counties.

She noted the joint initiatives tackling human trafficking networks that operate between both countries, with particular focus on protecting vulnerable populations. She added that the two nations had developed programmes to create economic opportunities in Nigeria that might reduce migration pressures, including vocational training and small business development projects in regions with high migration rates.

Earlier, Ambassador Mengoni said that his country was looking forward to improving bilateral relations with Nigeria, based on their policy strategy for building stronger cooperation and businesses with Africa. He explained that he arrived Nigeria recently and was determined to ensure that Italy maximise the strategic place of Nigeria in the continent to the mutual benefit of both countries.