NIGERIA, SOUTHERN AFRICA REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO DEEPENING COOPERATION

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ABUJA

PRESS STATEMENT

NO: MFA/PR/2026/229

NIGERIA, SOUTHERN AFRICA REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO
DEEPENING COOPERATION

The Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola
Enikanolaiye, received a delegation of Ambassadors and High
Commissioners of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) Member Countries accredited to Nigeria, in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Abuja, on Wednesday, 09 September 2026. The
delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Maxwell Ranga of Zimbabwe,
who is also the Dean of the SADC Ambassadors in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Amb. Ranga congratulated Amb.

Enikanolaiye on his appointment as the Honourable Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs. He commended Amb. Enikanolaiye’s distinguished
career and extensive diplomatic experience, and expressed the
delegation’s commitment to working closely with him to further
strengthen and advance relations between Nigeria and the Southern
African region.

The Zimbabwean Ambassador commended the enduring solidarity that
had continually underpinned the relations between Nigeria and the
region. He acknowledged and appreciated Nigeria’s historic
involvement, alongside other Frontline States, in the liberation struggles
in Southern Africa, which significantly contributed to the independence
and freedom of States that had been subjected to colonialism and
apartheid in the region.

While exploring the prospects for expanded cooperation between
Nigeria and Southern Africa, Amb. Ranga highlighted opportunities for
enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade and _ investment,
infrastructure, energy, agriculture and industrial development. He lauded
steadily growing people-to-people exchanges between Nigeria and the

region, which he noted could be leveraged for mutual benefit for their
peoples.

The Honourable Minister of State, in his response, underscored
Nigeria’s interest in learning from the experiences and comparative
advantages of SADC countries, particularly in mineral beneficiation,
industrial value addition, tourism and agriculture. He noted that
stronger cooperation in these areas could generate tangible mutual
economic benefits and foster enhanced institutional partnerships for the
translation of economic opportunities into practical initiatives.
Ambassador Enikanolayie stressed the need to ensure that visa regimes
facilitate greater interaction among citizens, businesses and institutions
of Nigeria and the Southern Africa, and not become obstacles to deeper
relations.

The Honourable Minister of State stressed the importance of regular
consultations among African countries, particularly in preparation for
major multilateral engagements. He advocated for more frequent
ministerial and official-level consultations to facilitate the development of
common African positions and strengthen the continent’s collective voice
at international fora.

He added that the Ministry was reviewing existing Joint Commission
mechanisms with a view to revitalising dormant agreements and
establishing a framework for more regular and comprehensive bilateral
consultations. He noted that such mechanisms would provide an
effective platform for reviewing cooperation across political, economic,
social and other spheres of mutual interest.

The Honourable Minister of State expressed appreciation to the SADC
Ambassadors and High Commissioners for the engagement, describing
it as an important opportunity to reignite and further strengthen
relations between Nigeria and the Southern African region. He
reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to maintain open channels of
communication and work closely with SADC Member States in
advancing shared interests and promoting African unity, integration and
prosperity.

Signed:

Oluwafemi Adeniyi
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
Wednesday, 9 September 2026