Japan-Nigeria Relations

On January 11, commencing at around 03:00 p.m. local time (00:00 a.m. on January 12 JST) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is currently visiting Senegal, held a telephone talk with H.E. Mr. Geoffrey ONYEAMA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The overview is as follows.

1. At the outset, Minister Motegi elaborated on how he had to cancel his planned visit to Nigeria, and emphasized that Nigeria remains an important partner for Japan. Minister Onyeama stated that it was unfortunate not being able to receive Minister Motegi, but showed his understanding and appreciation for the opportunity to hold a telephone talk.
2. Minister Motegi expressed his hope to further promote bilateral cooperation in various areas such as Nigeria's fight against COVID-19, development cooperation and strengthening business relations, based on the longstanding friendly bilateral relations, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year. He also expressed his willingness to continue to support Nigeria's efforts for securing peace and stability, including its fight against terrorism and counter-piracy measures in the Gulf of Guinea. In response, Minister Onyeama demonstrated his gratitude for Japan's wide variety of supports and hoped to further promote cooperation between the two countries.
3. Looking ahead to the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) to be held in Tunisia in 2022, the two Ministers confirmed that they would closely work together through the TICAD process and agreed on their cooperation under the vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific." Furthermore, the two Ministers exchanged views on topics such as efforts for securing peace and stability in Africa including in the Sahel, situations in the East and South China Seas and efforts for denuclearization of North Korea. Moreover, the two Ministers agreed to bolster cooperation in the international arena on such agenda as the United Nations Security Council reform and the World Trade Organization (WTO) reform.