Azerbaijan and Nigeria discuss prospects for stronger bilateral ties, with a focus on political, economic and humanitarian cooperation and coordination through international organizations.
Azerbaijan and Nigeria have discussed prospects for expanding bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation across political, economic and humanitarian areas during a telephone conversation between their foreign ministers.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held talks with Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The ministers exchanged views on the development of Azerbaijan-Nigeria relations, issues of mutual interest and the two countries’ cooperation agenda within multilateral platforms.
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During the conversation, the sides emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation through international organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation. They also highlighted the need for greater mutual support and coordination within these platforms.
Bayramov said Azerbaijan considers relations with African countries a priority area of its foreign policy. In this context, he underlined the importance of expanding cooperation with Nigeria in political, economic, humanitarian and other fields.
The Azerbaijani minister also highlighted opportunities available to Nigerian nationals through Azerbaijan’s Intergovernmental Scholarship Program. The initiative is part of Azerbaijan’s broader engagement with developing educational and people-to-people links with partner countries. Nigeria is among the countries whose students have benefited from Azerbaijan’s scholarship opportunities.
The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations since March 11, 1992, when Nigeria recognized Azerbaijan’s independence and diplomatic ties were established. Their cooperation has traditionally been pursued through bilateral channels as well as international organizations. Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry describes political cooperation between the two countries as strong, while noting the existence of an interparliamentary working group.
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Economic cooperation remains an area with scope for further development. Azerbaijan’s official data show bilateral trade turnover reached about $511,880 in 2022, compared with approximately $157,480 in 2021. Trade turnover for January-October 2023 stood at nearly $499,930.
The ministers also exchanged views on other regional and international issues. The latest discussion reflects the two countries’ interest in broadening bilateral engagement while coordinating positions through multilateral institutions and expanding cooperation beyond traditional diplomatic channels.