Nigeria, Niger hold talks to mend strained relations

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has embarked on a working visit to Niamey, Niger Republic’s capital.

Afinju FM
1 Min Read

This comes amid a frosty relationship between Nigeria and Niger.

According to a statement on his X handle, Tuggar was received by his Nigerien counterpart, Bakary Sangaré, where he noted that the visit was to renew bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation in key areas such as security, trade, and energy between the two countries.

He said the engagements also addressed pressing shared concerns, including migration management, the fight against desertification, and the revitalization of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission, NNJC.

Both West African nations have been having lingering tensions following the July 2023 coup in Niger.

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, under the chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu, had imposed stringent sanctions on Niger and advocated for the restoration of constitutional order while threatening military intervention.

The strong reaction led to a significant cooling of diplomatic ties between Abuja and Niamey, with border closures and the suspension of some cooperative efforts.

Last month, the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, a breakaway faction of ECOWAS comprising junta-led Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, imposed a 0.5 percent import duty on goods from member nations of its former bloc, escalating strained relations.

TAGGED: , ,
Share This Article
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • https://stream.zeno.fm/dk8ldnmy1wbvv