Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Nigeria is taking a broad development and security agenda to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, seeking stronger partnerships on humanitarian response, youth empowerment, investment and regional security.
The Nigerian delegation, led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is scheduled to participate in the ministerial meeting on Thursday, August 27, as the Federal Government seeks to leverage Nigeria’s membership of the 57-nation organisation to advance national interests.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s participation would be anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s four-D foreign policy doctrine of Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy.
Speaking to journalists before the delegation departed from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, the minister said Nigeria was approaching the meeting as an opportunity to secure practical partnerships capable of producing measurable benefits for Nigerians.
“This is a journey of strategic partnership and purpose devoid of ideological or religious fixation. Nigeria goes to Jeddah to advance cooperation that delivers real benefits to our people,” he said.
A major component of Nigeria’s agenda is the proposed operationalisation of a Nigeria-OIC Working Group on Humanitarian Affairs, which the government believes could strengthen cooperation in responding to insecurity and humanitarian emergencies in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel.
The proposed cooperation is expected to cover the rehabilitation of displaced and affected communities, interfaith dialogue and efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent security and humanitarian pressures confronting parts of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, where conflict, displacement and violent extremism continue to place pressure on communities and governments.
Nigeria is also expected to use the meeting to intensify its economic diplomacy, with the delegation presenting investment opportunities arising from the country’s ongoing economic reforms.
According to the minister, priority sectors to be presented to OIC investors and institutions include agriculture, manufacturing, Business Process Outsourcing, automotive, oil and gas and commerce.
The government will pursue both Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government partnerships, with the broader objective of attracting foreign direct investment, expanding productive capacity and accelerating economic diversification.
Youth development will form another important pillar of Nigeria’s engagement, with the country seeking expanded OIC-backed programmes in vocational training, women’s empowerment, healthcare and cultural exchanges.
Enikanolaiye said greater investment in skills development would help equip young Nigerians for economic opportunities while promoting peace, unity and cooperation across member states.
The Jeddah meeting will also have an important institutional dimension, with the election of a new Secretary-General of the OIC expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Nigeria, the minister said, would engage constructively in the process and seek leadership committed to reform, unity and people-centred programmes across the organisation.
He also sought to underscore Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to the OIC, noting that the country has been an active member since 1986.
According to him, Nigeria’s engagement with the organisation should not be viewed narrowly through a religious lens, stressing that OIC-supported programmes and projects in Nigeria have provided development assistance without religious discrimination.
He said Nigeria remained committed to multilateralism and would continue to work with other member states to promote peace, development and cooperation.
“We will work with all member states to ensure our collective decisions reflect the aspirations of over 1.8 billion people and contribute to global peace and development,” Enikanolaiye said.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the Nigerian delegation is expected to hold bilateral engagements with foreign ministers and OIC officials, with discussions aimed at advancing Nigeria’s interests in security, development, investment and humanitarian cooperation.
The Jeddah engagement therefore offers Nigeria an opportunity to move beyond diplomatic representation and use its OIC membership to mobilise concrete partnerships around some of the country’s most pressing priorities—from security and humanitarian relief to jobs, investment and economic diversification.