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By Gloria Ikibah

Nigeria and Thailand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation as both countries seek to deepen economic relations, increase bilateral trade and attract more investment.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the agreement would provide a fresh platform for both countries to work together in skills development, technology transfer and sustainable development.

She welcomed Thailand’s Thailand-Africa Initiative (TAI) and called for closer collaboration between the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA).

The minister also highlighted the ongoing Thailand-Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Technology Development Project, proposing that it be expanded to other parts of Nigeria.

She called for greater cooperation in agricultural research, technology and innovation, stressing the need to use the partnership to improve development outcomes.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria was interested in taking its relationship with Thailand beyond its current level and building a strategic partnership anchored on stronger economic cooperation.

She urged both countries to diversify bilateral trade, which has largely centred on commodities and agricultural products.

The minister called for increased Thai investment and joint ventures in agro-processing, manufacturing, energy, ICT, mining, renewable energy and other value-added sectors.

She also drew attention to Nigeria’s large consumer market and the investment opportunities available to Thai businesses, urging them to take advantage of the country’s incentives and growing economic potential.

The minister further proposed the establishment of a Joint or Bi-National Commission to provide a permanent framework for bilateral economic dialogue, monitor the implementation of agreements and speed up the conclusion of pending bilateral instruments.

Among the agreements she identified for attention were the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, Trade Agreement, and Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation.

Nigeria also called for closer relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), saying stronger regional cooperation could open up fresh opportunities for trade, investment and development.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to building a stronger economic partnership with Thailand through increased trade and investment, technical cooperation and regular high-level engagements.

On his part, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, described Nigeria as “a key economy in Africa.”
He said a strategic economic partnership between the two countries would boost investment and trade while delivering benefits to their citizens.

The signing of the MoU comes as Nigeria and Thailand seek to build on their longstanding diplomatic relations by expanding cooperation beyond traditional areas of trade and towards technology, agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors capable of creating jobs and supporting economic growth.

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By Gloria Ikibah

Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to strengthen their longstanding diplomatic ties and expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, investment, technology, security and other areas of mutual interest.

The commitment was made at the inaugural Nigeria-Thailand Bilateral Consultations Meeting held in Abuja.

The meeting brought together senior officials from the foreign ministries of both countries and provided an opportunity to review bilateral relations, discuss regional and global developments and identify practical areas for closer cooperation.

The Nigerian delegation was led by Ambassador Grema Garba, Director, Regions Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Thai delegation was led by Mrs Sirilak Nyom, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The consultations also marked an important step in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultations, signed during the visit of Thailand’s then Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to Nigeria in 2023.

Nigeria and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1962 and, at the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the cordial and mutually beneficial nature of their relationship.

Nigeria highlighted opportunities for increased cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and food security, energy, manufacturing, tourism, healthcare, technology and technical cooperation.

Both countries also acknowledged their strategic positions as gateways to their respective regions, with Nigeria offering access to the African market and Thailand providing a gateway to Southeast Asia and the wider Asian market.

Agriculture emerged as one of the key areas of interest, with Nigeria expressing interest in Thailand’s experience in rice production, cassava processing, aquaculture, agricultural machinery and food processing.

The two sides also explored opportunities for increased Thai investment in Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.

Other sectors identified for greater economic cooperation included agro-processing, oil and gas, renewable energy, manufacturing, mining, healthcare, tourism, ICT and infrastructure.

The consultations further considered the possible operationalisation of the Joint Trade Committee and measures to encourage greater private-sector participation and make trade and investment between both countries easier.

Visa and consular matters also featured prominently during the meeting, with Nigeria raising concerns about visa procedures affecting Nigerian businesspeople, investors, students and tourists travelling to Thailand.

Nigeria called for greater transparency, efficiency and predictability in the visa application process.

The two countries also discussed migration management, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, protection of nationals, repatriation and prisoner-transfer arrangements.

On security, Nigeria and Thailand agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, online scams and other forms of transnational organised crime.

Thailand highlighted its existing cooperation with Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on narcotic drug control and suppression.

It also introduced the SHIELD database as a tool for sharing information on scams and human trafficking, while expressing readiness to strengthen cooperation in intelligence sharing, digital forensics, law-enforcement coordination and capacity building.

The two countries equally welcomed opportunities for expanded technical cooperation through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), including training, scholarships and institutional partnerships.

The areas identified for such cooperation include agriculture, food innovation, climate resilience, renewable energy and digital technology.

On international affairs, Nigeria and Thailand reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, international peace and security, regional integration and a rules-based international order.

Both countries supported comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to ensure more equitable representation for Africa and stronger participation of developing countries in global decision-making.

Nigeria also welcomed Thailand’s Thailand-Africa Initiative and expressed its readiness to support stronger Thai engagement with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The two sides exchanged views on regional developments, including insecurity in West Africa and the Sahel, stressing the importance of dialogue, confidence-building and coordinated responses to emerging security challenges.

They further agreed to continue consultations on cooperation within multilateral organisations and mutual support for candidates seeking positions in international institutions.

At the end of the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome and pledged to turn the discussions into concrete programmes and deliverables.

Thailand also indicated its readiness to host the second round of the Nigeria-Thailand Bilateral Consultations in Bangkok on a mutually agreed date and expressed interest in advancing outstanding bilateral agreements.

Nigeria, in turn, reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with Thailand to deepen their longstanding friendship and expand cooperation across economic, agricultural, technological, security, consular, developmental and multilateral areas.

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The Bauchi State Police Command has released 16-year-old Jennifer Joseph, a Christian teenager from Adamawa State, to her parents following weeks of controversy over her custody and disputed religious identity.

Jennifer was released to her parents on Monday after extensive deliberations at the Bauchi State Police Command, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The development followed sustained public attention and extensive reporting by SaharaReporters on the circumstances surrounding the teenager, who became the centre of a dispute involving her parents, the Bishara Dole Christian Ministry and an Islamic Da’awah group in Bauchi.

Reverend Mohammed Mohammed of The Gospel of Christ Must Be Preach International Ministry, popularly known as Bishara Dole, confirmed Jennifer’s release to SaharaReporters on Tuesday.

Mohammed, however, disclosed that the police had detained Rev. Badamasi, a staff member of the Bishara Dole ministry, over an allegation that he molested Jennifer while transporting her from her family home in Adamawa State to the ministry in Bauchi.

He described the allegation as unfounded and “laughable,” while insisting that the matter should be investigated properly.

Jennifer’s release comes after a series of controversial developments that had left her parents stranded in Bauchi while seeking to regain custody of their daughter.

The latest development has now introduced another layer to the controversy following the detention of Rev. Badamasi.

According to Reverend Mohammed, the Bishara Dole staff member was detained over an allegation that he molested Jennifer while accompanying her from Adamawa to Bauchi in a commercial bus.

Mohammed rejected the allegation, describing it as “laughable” and insisting that the ministry would not be deterred by what he considered attempts to discredit its members.

SaharaReporters could not independently establish the circumstances surrounding Badamasi’s detention or the allegation against him.

The development is also significant because earlier reports had documented claims by Bishara Dole that allegations of child molestation had been made against the ministry as part of what Mohammed described as an attempt to discredit the Christian organisation.

The ministry had called for an independent investigation into all allegations rather than allowing competing religious interests to determine Jennifer’s custody.

With Jennifer now released to her parents, attention is expected to shift to the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s custody, the competing claims over her religious identity and the allegations that emerged during the dispute.