Niamey: The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of Niger have signed a communiqu© to revitalize and enhance cooperation between the two nations through the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission (NNJC). This agreement was formalized by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, and Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Nigeriens Abroad, Mr. Bakary Sangar©.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the announcement was made by Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, following Tuggar’s working visit to the capital of Niger, Niamey. The discussions during the visit focused on addressing the challenges both countries face and tackling major issues at sub-regional, regional, and international levels.
Both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation, especially in economic and security sectors. The ministers discussed various mutual interests aimed at fostering closer relationships between the people and governments of Niger and Nigeria. They emphasized the necessity of joint efforts to counter terrorism along their shared border and agreed to maintain collaboration between their respective defence ministries.
The meeting also reviewed ongoing joint infrastructure projects, such as the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi railway, the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, the Trans-Saharan Highway, and the Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic project, all part of efforts to boost regional integration. Additionally, the ministers agreed to broaden cooperation across socio-political, economic, scientific, and cultural domains, aiming to consolidate existing gains and rejuvenate the NNJC.
A proposal was put forward to establish a Joint Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among key stakeholders from both countries, addressing shared challenges and opportunities.