Nigeria, Seychelles seek closer ties

NIGERIA and Republic of Seychelles relations Wednesday received a boost even as both countries have renewed commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations between them.

Speaking during the presentation of his Credence Letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, in Abuja, the Honourary Consul of Seychelles in Nigeria, Mr Tunde Okoya, said the presentation has marked a new dawn between the two countries.

“Nigeria has always played a developmental role on the continent, esspecially to the Republic of Seychelles, by providing technical assistance through manpower support and so many other areas. It is my hope that the presence of this Consular Office in Lagos will further strengthen the ties between these two great nations.

“There are so many areas of mutual benefits; Nigeria being the largest economy and the most populous country in Africa, Seychelles, will no doubt, have a lot of benefits from relationship with Nigeria. We hope to leverage on areas of strength between these two great countries. Seychelles has a lot of experience in the areas of fishery and tourism. It has over 500, 000 tourists, visitors into the country. It is also in the forefront in the areas of environmental protection. In these areas I am sure that we have similar states in Nigeria that also can leverage on the experiences that Seychelles has,” he said.

Okoya, who also highlighted areas of challenges of the two countries, said the two countries hoped to sign bilateral treaties in the areas of tax and investment.

“There are also areas of challenges, especially in the area of piracy in the India Ocean where Seychelles has played a very leading role in reduction of piracy and Nigeria also has similar challenges in the Atlantic Ocean. We hope that we should be able to share our experiences between the two nations on these areas,” he added.

Okoya also sought for Nigeria’s support as Seychelles prepares to vie for a seat at the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the 2017/2019 session.

“As your Excellency might also be aware, Seychelles will also be contesting for a seat at the Security Council for the 2017/2019 session. These are areas that we will further collaborate and explore cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

Speaking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb Wali, who expressed Nigeria’s interest to collaborate with Seychelles in many areas, said the country would not hesitate to offer its support where necessary