ABUJA — Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire have agreed to deepen bilateral relations and revive their Bi-National Commission in a renewed push to strengthen regional cooperation and integration in West Africa.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja and signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
The agreement followed a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and the Diaspora, Nialé Kaba, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Highlighting the importance of the partnership, Kaba said the strength of Nigeria–Côte d’Ivoire relations remains critical to regional stability.
“The stability of the region depends on the Nigeria–Côte d’Ivoire bilateral relations,” she said, while calling for stronger engagement between both countries.
She also pushed for the revival of the Bi-National Commission, noting that its last session was held in 2021 in Abidjan, and stressing the need to review existing agreements.
In his remarks, Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to expanding diplomatic and economic ties within the region, describing the relationship with Côte d’Ivoire as strategic.
“There is a need to enhance collaboration and consultation between our countries as key players in West Africa,” he said.
Both ministers agreed to jointly review the implementation of existing agreements and explore new areas of cooperation across critical sectors.
They further pledged to strengthen collaboration at both bilateral and multilateral levels to promote regional integration, economic growth and stability across the ECOWAS sub-region.
