The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening partnership with Singapore.
This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister.
The minister said that this would enhance for sustainable development and consolidate Nigeria’s its leadership role within Africa and engagement globally.
Abdulkadir said Tuggar’s reaffirmation follows the Fifth Singapore–Africa Ministerial Exchange Visit (SAMEV) which held from Aug. 26 to 28.
It was organised by Enterprise Singapore, the government agency responsible for enterprise development and global market access in Singapore.
Tuggar said one of the most significant outcomes for Nigeria was the entry into force of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA), known as Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between Nigeria and Singapore.
He said SAMEV commenced in 2014, and this year’s edition brought together 14 ministers and deputy ministers from Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The delegation was hosted to lunch by Dr Balakrishnan and jointly visited Singapore’s Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong, where discussions centered on deepening Africa–Singapore cooperation.
The visit concluded with a dinner reception hosted by Ms Grace Fu, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.
Alongside SAMEV, the African ministers participated in the Opening Session of the eighth ASBF, which coincided with the ministerial meetings.
Highpoint of the forum was a keynote address delivered by Ghana’s President John Mahama, during his concurrent State Visit to Singapore.
There was also a discussion by Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman of ALN and Samaila Zubairu, President/CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation, as key speakers.
The ASBF-2025 brought together not less than 700 business and government representatives from across 40 African countries and Asia.
It aims at strengthening ties and exchanging development experiences between Singapore and African nations.
The gathering also provided a vital platform for business matchmaking, forging new partnerships and exploring pathways for sustainable growth.
