Nigeria-Kuwaiti Bilateral Ties Strengthened To Boost Trade, Investment

Nigeria and the State of Kuwait have deepened bilateral ties to boost   trade and investment between both countries as well as strengthen other critical sectors to enhance economic development.

Indications to this development emerged when Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, paid a working visit to the country, which is also aimed to advance agricultural cooperation.

The visit by the Nigerian Foreign Minister between February 5 and 8, 2025 marked the first time a Nigerian foreign minister visited Kuwait since the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 31, 1970.

According a statement by the Special media aide to the Minister, Abdulkadir Alkasim ,“During the visit Ambassador Tuggar had strategic engagement with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Amb. Abdullah Al-Yahya, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Such agreement included the establishment of a joint commission for mutual cooperation and a framework for bilateral consultations to strengthen diplomatic engagements between both countries’ foreign ministries.

Other areas include capacity building and diplomatic expertise exchange, science and technology and agricultural cooperation agreements.

The Nigerian Minister also had a high-level dialogue with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait and paid courtesy visit to Sheikh Mishal Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait amid a formal agreement to deepen bilateral cooperation.

The visit also featured meetings with Kuwait’s Minister of Petroleum, Tariq Al-Roumi Waleed Al-Bahar, the Director-General of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), and business lunch by Kuwaiti authorities, leading business figures and investors.

According to Tuggar this visit has “opened new avenues for cooperation across multiple sectors.”

Over the years, Nigeria and Kuwait have enjoyed cordial relations in oil and gas, agriculture, trade and industry among others and this visit added another dimension for increase in capacity in these sectors.

The State of Kuwait has steadily adopted the principle of equanimity and moderation in its foreign policy, with clear features and frameworks in its diplomatic relations, with its aspiration for the whole world to participate in its Vision 2035 for the future Kuwait as a regional financial, commercial and cultural center.

The State of Kuwait and Nigeria also enjoy historical relations that extend since the sixties of the last century, as the Al Sabah School, which was built in Kaduna State at that time, testified to the depth of these historical relations. This was even from before the official relations began, which opened new horizons for joint cooperation in various areas between the two friendly countries.

Recall that in 2020 the Nigerian government approved bilateral air services agreement (BASA) with Kuwait to serve as a gateway for seamless airline services between both countries which is in line with the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The strategic location of Nigeria in Africa makes it a country to benefit from diplomatic engagements with Kuwait in terms of investment opportunities as  Nigeria’s huge endowment in natural resources and investment opportunities in the fields of oil and gas, various minerals, industry, transport, energy, agriculture, tourism, telecommunication and banking make it an attraction to policy makers and investors.

Relations between both countries were on the popular level, and then metamorphosed into diplomatic relations in 1970s. Nig  eria opened its embassy in Kuwait officially in December 1980, which was reciprocated later on by Kuwait opening its embassy in Nigeria in May 2005.