By Gloria Ikibah

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has paid an official working visit to Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, on Tuesday, April 16, 2025, to hold high-level talks with his Nigerien counterpart, Mr. Bakary Yaou Sangaré.

Tuggar was received warmly by Sangaré in a show of the strong and historic relationship between the two neighboring countries.

The meeting provided an opportunity for both ministers to hold deep discussions on a wide range of shared concerns affecting their nations.

Talks focused on reviving and strengthening cooperation through the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission (NNJC), with both parties agreeing to fast-track key infrastructure projects such as the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi railway and the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. Other areas of interest discussed include cross-border markets, trade, energy, migration, desertification, education, tourism, ICT, and agriculture.

“The two Ministers agreed to cooperate and follow up on these issues through the NNJC as soon as possible,” the communiqué stated.

On the issue of border security, both ministers acknowledged the ongoing terrorist threats in areas along the Nigeria-Niger border and how they disrupt development plans. They called on their countries’ defense ministries to deepen military cooperation to address these challenges effectively.

“The two Ministers reaffirmed their shared desire to boost and energize bilateral cooperation between the two countries, to raise it to the level of their ambitions and the legitimate expectations of their respective peoples, who aspire to peace, security, and development,” the statement read.

To encourage more engagement, the ministers proposed setting up a Joint Consultative Forum involving key stakeholders from both sides to handle pressing cross-border issues and identify new areas of cooperation.

At the close of the meeting, Minister Sangaré thanked Tuggar for the visit and asked him to convey the appreciation of the Government and people of Niger to Nigeria. Tuggar, in return, expressed gratitude for the hospitality shown to his delegation and extended an invitation to Sangaré to visit Nigeria. The Nigerien minister accepted the invitation, with the date to be confirmed through diplomatic channels.

The visit reflects a renewed push by both countries to work together more closely in areas of security, trade, infrastructure, and people-to-people connections.