* As Shettima seeks review of bilateral relationship at strategic level
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Nigeria and Thailand on Wednesday expressed commitment towards deepening relations between both countries across technology, agriculture, commerce and renewable energy, among other areas of strategic interest.
To this end, Nigeria is pushing for a review of existing partnerships between both countries, leveraging Thailand’s comparative advantage in deploying intermediate technology in agriculture and related areas.
Thailand, on the other hand, is proposing a Thailand-Africa Initiative that aims to boost relations between the Asian country and key African countries in people-to-people ties, economic ties as well as economic cooperation, particularly in agriculture.
These formed the highlights of the meeting between Vice-President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the Kingdom of Thailand led by its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Yousef Hassan Khalawi.
Speaking during the meeting with the delegation at the State House, Abuja, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Shettima acknowledged the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria and Thailand.
Accrding to him, “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.
“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.”
He urged the government and people of the Kingdom of Thailand to continue to do business with Nigeria because of its strategic position on the African continent, coupled with its demographic advantage and abundant natural resources.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Khalawi, who is on his first trip to Africa, praised the ongoing transformation in Nigeria under the administration of President Tinubu, describing the country as a strategic partner with Thailand, a strong voice in the global south and an emerging leader in e-commerce.
He said Thailand is proposing a new partnership with Africa known as the Thailand-Africa Initiative aimed at boosting economic ties, business and people-people relations.
Khalawi noted that the important dimension of the initiative was the promotion of economic cooperation, especially in agriculture, and exploring Thailand’s strength in Universal Health Coverage and Tourism, among other areas.
“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,” he said.