Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to deepen bilateral ties in technology and agriculture, alongside renewable energy, commerce and other areas of strategic interest.
The renewed partnership is aimed at moving both countries beyond traditional areas of engagement, including crude oil and rice production, towards broader economic cooperation, investment and technology transfer.
Speaking during a meeting with a Thai delegation led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, said there was a need to review the existing bilateral relationship at a strategic level.
Shettima said Nigeria’s relationship with Thailand should extend beyond transactions in crude oil and rice production, stressing that the country offered significant opportunities for partnerships and investments in agriculture, information and communications technology, renewable energy and solid minerals.
According to him, Nigeria’s large consumer market, young population and workforce, strategic position in Africa and abundant natural resources make the country an attractive destination for Thai businesses and investors.
The Vice President urged the government and business community in Thailand to strengthen their engagement with Nigeria, noting that deeper cooperation could unlock opportunities across several sectors of both economies.
On his part, Phuangketkeow, who is making his first visit to Africa, described Nigeria as a strategic partner for Thailand and commended the economic transformation taking place under the Tinubu administration.
He described Nigeria as a strong voice in the Global South and an emerging leader in e-commerce, stressing its importance to Thailand’s efforts to expand its engagement with Africa, particularly West Africa.
The Thai Deputy Prime Minister disclosed that his country was proposing a new Thailand-Africa Initiative aimed at strengthening economic, business and people-to-people relations between Thailand and key African countries.
He said agriculture would be a major component of the initiative, while Thailand was also prepared to explore cooperation in areas where it has comparative strengths, including universal health coverage and tourism.
Phuangketkeow stressed that Nigeria could serve as an important gateway for Thailand to deepen its economic and diplomatic relations with other countries across West Africa.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Thirapath Mongkolnavin, and other senior officials from the foreign affairs ministries of both countries.
