President Tinubu reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to promoting peace, good governance and security across West Africa while commending China’s contribution to Africa’s development through initiatives like the Belt and Road and FOCAC. In addressing members of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in China (NIDO China) President Tinubu asserted that “We will always celebrate our diversity. We cherish it, but this diversity is our commitment to serve”.
He also added that “One economic action leads to another, and it is in your hand to build our nation. Mine is to provide the leadership and I am committed to doing just that”. He met His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on September 12, in what the Presidency characterised as “private”. However, both leaders reflected on the enduring and cherished relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Later in early October, Tinubu embarked on two weeks annual leave in the United Kingdom.
In November, President Tinubu met with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Arab-Islamic Summit on his adventure in reforming the Nigerian economy through his 4D foreign policy strategy. The Saudi Crown Prince assured him support for it economic reform programmes and the two leaders explored potential areas for cooperation, particularly oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure and the constitution of the Saudi-Nigeria Business Council.
President Tinubu made the trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 17, 2024 for the G20 Leaders Summit. He endorsed the launch of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and he called for the expansion of the UN Security Council permanent and non-permanent member categories to reflect the world’s diversity and polarity and that Africa deserves priority in the process.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, hosted an illustrious state reception for President Tinubu on his three-day state visit to France. Macron staged a flamboyant show of warmth and friendship as he sought a “renewal” between Paris and Africa. Nigeria signed agreements collectively valued at over €300 million, aimed at bolstering vital sectors of Nigeria’s economy and promoting sustainable development.
Tinubu visit is partly seen as an attempt by France to maintain some influence in the region with the growing anti-French sentiment and the wave of coups in Francophone in the region. President Tinubu is very strategic to the French dwindling foothold in the region as ECOWAS has approved the withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from January 29, 2025 to July 29, 2025 as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open for diplomatic dialogue.
From France, President Tinubu made his last foreign trip in 2024 by travelling to Cape Town, South Africa in December to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa. The 11th session of the BNC featured deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and financing, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, trade and investments.
The delegates of the two governments signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements. For economic and trade cooperation, Joint Ministerial Advisory Council agreed to address trade and investment challenges and promote collaboration by focusing on reducing dependency on oil and gas, seeking to diversify the trade portfolio between the two states.
For visa facilitation, South Africa introduced relaxed visa policies for Nigerians marking a significant milestone through visa-on-arrival access and a five-year multiple entry visas. Nigeria business people qualify for five-year multiple entry visas, streamlining business travel and tourist.
In the home front, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the 6th round of the Nigerian-U.S. Bi-National Commission (BNC) in April, 2024, aimed at deepening ties and addressing key issues of mutual interest. Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tugger co-chaired with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell at the Conference Hall of the State House.
This year’s BNC built on the strong foundation agreed during the January 23, 2024, meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in Abuja, as well as the momentum from the last BNC held in Washington, D.C. in February 2020. 2024 BNC featured five working groups covering a range of issues to advance our mutual interests, reaffirming the robust bilateral cooperation enjoyed by the United States and Nigeria.
The groups focused on the U.S.-Nigeria partnership in shared prosperity; security cooperation; democracy, governance and accountability; health; and movement of people. Additionally, the BNC included four discussions on expanding our cooperation to identify solutions to improve outcomes in the areas of: cybercrime, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, food security, and growth in the digital economy and emerging technologies. An active Nigeria – U.S. Binational Commission is necessary in the midst of the geo-political complexities in the global system, given Nigerian dominant role in the region. Nigeria- U.S. relations have span more than six decades, and they have entailed an important, if occasionally uneasy, alliance, following a more chequered diplomatic past. Nigeria has traditionally been among the United States’s most important partners in Africa.
At the State House, President Tinubu received UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Rt. David Lammy on November 4, 2024 and welcomes new strategic partnership agreement for shared growth. The Secretary noted that “Our countries have the strongest relationship built over many years. Shared values in our history by the Commonwealth, which has been incredibly strong, dynamic and vibrant across our countries.”.
“The Prime Minister Keir Stammer’s government hopes to see and ensure changes in our relations. He is committed to economic growth and I have come in that spirit. Of course, economic growth is the bedrock of Peace and Security”. On Nigeria’s economic reforms, Lammy said, “Your macro-economic performance is important to Nigeria’s long-term prosperity and Security and at any time clearly will make a difference in investor confidence in the economy.”
The president on November 16, 2024, received the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on his first visit to Nigeria, which is also the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria since 2007. Bilateral discussions was aimed to expand the strategic partnership between both states and enhance cooperation in critical sectors to boost economic, defence, health, and food security ties. Recalling President Tinubu visited India in September 2023, Modi said his state visit to Nigeria would further strengthen and expand the longstanding partnership between both states, with over 60,000 Indian residing in Nigeria, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality provided by the Nigerian government.
He described the Indian community in Nigeria as an important link between the two countries “Nigeria has played a very important positive role in Africa and for India, deepening our relations with Africa has been a very high priority” he added that, “through close coordination and working together, we will advance the interest and priorities of the Global South.”
On December 11, 2024, President Tinubu welcomed President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Frank Walter Steinmeier, to the State House. Tinubu assured the German government and businessmen of Nigeria’s preparedness to expand frontier for investors in the energy and solid minerals sectors. President Tinubu also reiterated that the activation of latent potentials in the energy sector remains central to Nigeria’s development.
He emphasised that Nigeria must enhance the possibility of becoming highly industrialised by exploring opportunities in our natural resource. He added that Nigeria’s reforms had been designed to bring long term prosperity through sustainable and dependable frameworks.
The Paris and South Africa meeting round up President Tinubu’s international engagement to 17 foreign trips in 2024 in the pursuit of Nigeria’s national interest and to achieve accelerated economic growth through sustainable investment in the Nigerian robust market.
With the 28 official foreign trips in his almost two years in office, the President strategically pursued Nigeria’s economic goals and his international engagement alongside the government fiscal reforms has helped to boost the trade volumes in the Nigerian economy.
Concluded.
Kelechi is a Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and a Comparative Foreign Policy Analyst.
