Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday in Abuja urged Nigeria and Thailand to strengthen their bilateral relationship beyond crude oil and rice production, calling for greater collaboration in technology, agriculture, trade and renewable energy.
Shettima made the remarks while receiving a Thai delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday titled, ‘Nigeria, Thailand to Expand Bilateral Ties in Technology, Agriculture, Renewable Energy.’
Nkwocha said Nigeria was interested in reassessing its existing partnerships with Thailand, particularly by taking advantage of the Asian nation’s expertise in applying intermediate technology to agriculture and other related sectors.
Thailand, on its part, presented a proposed Thailand-Africa Initiative focused on strengthening ties with key African nations through people-to-people engagement and economic partnerships, especially in agriculture.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Shettima acknowledged the longstanding cordial ties between the two nations but stressed the importance of broadening the areas of cooperation.
“I believe that our relationship should go beyond transactions in crude oil, rice production and so on. So, there is a need for us to review our bilateral relationship at a strategic level,” he said.
The Vice President also pointed to Nigeria’s potential as a major investment and consumer market, stating, “Nigeria is a large market. There are enormous opportunities for partnership and investment in agriculture, ICT, renewable energy, and solid minerals, and we have a young population and workforce.”
Shettima encouraged Thai authorities and businesses to increase investments in Nigeria, highlighting the country’s strategic importance within Africa, its large population and extensive natural resources.
Earlier, Phuangketkeow, who was making his first visit to Africa, commended what he described as the ongoing transformation in Nigeria under the Tinubu administration.
He identified Nigeria as an important partner for Thailand, describing the country as a prominent voice within the Global South and a growing force in e-commerce.
The Thai minister explained that the proposed Thailand-Africa Initiative would promote stronger economic links, business partnerships and people-to-people relations across the continent.
He added that agriculture would be a major focus of the initiative, alongside opportunities to share Thailand’s experience in Universal Health Coverage, tourism and other sectors.
“For us in Thailand, we believe that Nigeria is a strategic partner bilaterally and an important window to strengthening ties with Africa, particularly West Africa,” Phuangketkeow said.
Other officials at the meeting included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Ahmed, and Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Thirapath Mongkolnavin, alongside senior officials from the foreign ministries of both countries.
