Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to deepen bilateral relations in technology, agriculture, commerce, renewable energy and other strategic sectors, with Vice President Kashim Shettima calling for a comprehensive review of the relationship between both countries.
Shettima said the existing partnership should be elevated beyond traditional trade in crude oil and agricultural commodities to take advantage of opportunities in information and communications technology (ICT), renewable energy, solid minerals and other sectors.
The Vice President spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he received a delegation from the Kingdom of Thailand led by its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, H.E. Yousef Hassan Khalawi.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Shettima said Nigeria was particularly interested in leveraging Thailand’s comparative advantage in intermediate technology, especially in agriculture and related sectors.
He acknowledged the cordial relations between both countries but stressed the need to reassess the partnership at a strategic level to reflect their economic potential
In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “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.
“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.”
The Vice President urged the government and business community in Thailand to increase their investments and commercial engagements with Nigeria, citing the country’s strategic position in Africa, large population, youthful workforce and abundant natural resources.
Thailand, on its part, proposed a new framework, tagged the Thailand-Africa Initiative, through which it hopes to strengthen its relations with Nigeria and other key African countries.
The initiative is expected to promote people-to-people relations, economic ties and cooperation, particularly in agriculture, while also exploring Thailand’s strengths in Universal Health Coverage and tourism.
Khalawi, who is on his first visit to Africa, praised what he described as the ongoing transformation in Nigeria under the Tinubu administration.
He described Nigeria as a strategic partner for Thailand, a strong voice in the Global South and an emerging leader in e-commerce.
According to him, Thailand sees Nigeria not only as an important bilateral partner but also as a strategic entry point for expanding its engagement with the African continent, particularly West Africa.
“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,” he said.
The Thai Deputy Prime Minister said the proposed Thailand-Africa Initiative would seek to expand economic cooperation and business relations as well as strengthen ties between the peoples of Thailand and African countries.
He identified agriculture as an important component of the initiative, adding that Thailand was also prepared to explore cooperation in areas where it had developed significant expertise, including Universal Health Coverage and tourism.
Other officials at the meeting included the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and the Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria, Mr. Thirapath Mongkolnavin, as well as senior officials of the foreign affairs ministries of both countries.