Nigeria and The Gambia have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and revive the Nigeria-Gambia Joint Commission as part of efforts to expand cooperation in key sectors.
The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Sering Modou Njie, on the sidelines of the Ecowas Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding relationship with The Gambia.
“The Nigeria-Gambia bilateral relations have been excellent over the years. We intend to enhance and deepen the brotherly ties between our two countries and further explore opportunities for collaboration to the mutual benefit of Nigeria and The Gambia,” the minister said.
Enikanolaiye noted that Nigeria remained committed to fostering closer ties with African nations through strategic partnerships that promote mutual development.
Responding, Njie congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and welcomed Nigeria’s renewed efforts to deepen cooperation between the two countries.
He expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s role during The Gambia’s 2017 political crisis, describing Abuja’s intervention as instrumental in restoring peace and stability.
“The Gambia remains grateful to Nigeria for the leadership role the country played during the political impasse experienced in 2017. The political stability and current development in The Gambia are attributable to Nigeria’s timely intervention, a feat that remains indelible in the history of our country,” Njie said.
The Gambian minister also commended Nigeria’s continued support through the deployment of Technical Aid Corps volunteers, its contributions to the Ecowas Mission in The Gambia and the training of Gambian military personnel in Nigerian military institutions.
In his response, Enikanolaiye reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to advancing pan-African unity, solidarity and development through initiatives such as the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps.
“Nigeria remains committed to promoting pan-African unity, solidarity and development, especially through the framework of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps. The programme enables Nigeria to deploy highly qualified professionals to African and Caribbean countries to support manpower development,” he said.
Both ministers agreed that reviving the Nigeria-Gambia Joint Commission would provide a structured platform to review existing but dormant bilateral agreements and identify new areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening relations between the two West African countries.
