The House of Representatives has vowed to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Bulgaria further in the parliamentary, diplomatic and business realms.
The chairman of the Nigeria-Bulgaria Parliamentary Group Committee, Hon. Munachim Ikechi Alozie, stated this in his address at a farewell meeting with the outgoing Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday.
Alozie noted that the Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria had, in his four years of service in Nigeria, visited 22 out of the 36 States of our country and quoted him to have remarked that: “Nigeria is not only The Giant of Africa but also as a country with many giants, in terms of culture, heritage and opportunities.”
The lawmaker said, “We have not come to bid him farewell but to celebrate one who, by his intentional association, inclination, and interaction, has become one of us (Nigerians), who enjoys our meals especially.
“So, today’s gathering is an innovative feature of the Nigeria/Bulgaria Parliamentary Friendship Group to build on the past year’s experience with Ambassador Yanko in Strengthening Bilateral Business ties between Bulgaria and Nigeria.
“I want to, in a special way, formally recognise again the presence of Ambassador Yanko Yordanov (the Bulgarian Ambassador) and his delegation, knowing that the Partnerships between both our countries will continue in Trade and Economic Cooperation, Education and human capital development, Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Energy sector, Tourism etc. We hope to continue exchanging more initiatives and ideas to strengthen our cooperation.
“We aspire to become a beacon and a point of reference in initiating, fostering and promoting sustainable partnerships and development that are respectful, visible, measurable, responsible and mutually beneficial for both our countries.
“As part of our programme, we will be conducting Trade Missions to Bulgaria and Nigeria, and we already have one coming up soon. We want to take this opportunity to invite you all to participate in the Investment, Tourism, and Trade Mission to identify and explore partnership opportunities in Bulgaria from July 14th—20th, 2025.”
Speaking to journalists after the event, Ambassador Yordanov said Nigeria and Bulgaria have a mutually beneficial relationship spanning many decades. This relationship has led to cooperation in various development fields that will be maintained and improved upon for the benefit of the two nations.
“This is primarily due to our cooperation in agriculture and business ties, which led to partnerships in transportation and infrastructure projects. So, we look forward to building upon what we have achieved.
“But of course, enlarging it, and we have excellent cooperation in IT and high-tech technologies and the high-tech, so I’m sure that we will easily identify new areas to build further on the progress we have already achieved.
“The new emotion that I am feeling is, let’s say, the enthusiasm and satisfaction I see from the results. However, I look forward to further cooperation between our two nations. Bulgaria is also a very hospitable country, and I am sure that both nations can easily find a way to continue,” he said.
