The minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has warned that Africa’s marginal participation in global trade is disproportionate to its population size and poses long-term risks to global stability.
Tuggar made the remarks on Wednesday at the 2026 annual conference of ambassadors in Spain, held under the theme “Good neighbourliness: Building bridges or building walls”.
He noted that Africa’s persistent position as an exporter of raw materials and an importer of finished goods continues to entrench underdevelopment and intensify economic pressures across the continent.
According to a statement released on Thursday by Alkasim Abdulkadir, his special assistant on media, the minister said such economic imbalances are not limited to Africa alone but eventually transcend borders, contributing to instability that impacts Europe and other regions.
Tuggar described Europe and Africa as belonging to a single geopolitical space, with their futures closely intertwined by geography, history and economic interdependence.
He called on European nations to focus on partnerships that promote industrialisation, value-chain development and more equitable access to global trade for African economies, stressing that sustainable growth in Africa would yield mutual benefits.
The minister also warned against migration policies shaped by fear.
While reaffirming Nigeria’s opposition to irregular migration, Tuggar cautioned that the weaponisation of anti-migrant rhetoric and the securitisation of labour mobility have led to destabilising outcomes in the Sahel.
He highlighted joint efforts in migration management, police training, and combating human trafficking and smuggling as positive examples of Nigeria–Spain cooperation.