President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says Nigeria will move quickly to implement all agreements reached with Colombia as both nations look to deepen ties in trade, culture, and diplomacy.
Receiving Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez and her delegation at the State House in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu said global economic shifts call for new partnerships.
“I believe the Vice President and his team have done the job. Our business opportunities with Colombia have already been enhanced. I support every aspect that you have agreed on,” Tinubu said.
He added that Nigeria will replicate recent agreements signed with Brazil on aviation and consular cooperation.
“Particularly for Colombia, the agreement we entered with Brazil can easily be replicated in aviation, and our diplomatic relations can be enhanced. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will accelerate that,” he noted.
The President also encouraged Colombian business leaders to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s oil, gas, and agriculture sectors, pointing to the country’s “youthful and growing population” as both a market and skilled workforce.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who supervised the bilateral talks, said the visit would help restore historical connections and open new prospects for cooperation.
“The visit from the Colombian Vice President would rekindle ancestral connections disrupted by slavery and colonialism, positioning both nations for a prosperous partnership,” he said, adding that shared political and cultural values will strengthen economic collaboration.
For Márquez, the trip carried symbolic weight. “As the first black Vice President of Colombia, I am extremely delighted to lead this visit to the land of our ancestors. Our ancestors were taken away from Africa centuries ago,” she told the meeting.
She listed aviation, visas, political consultations, cultural exchanges, and trade as areas where cooperation could expand.
“We have had a meeting with the business leaders in aviation on the need to start direct flights to Colombia,” Márquez said.
She also linked the relationship to broader themes of justice and inclusion.
“Relations with Nigeria would benefit both countries, particularly in areas such as social justice, gender equality, and inclusivity,” she added.
Márquez said Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa and the African Union’s work on restoration and reparation would further strengthen Latin America’s engagement with the continent.
Also present at the meeting were Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Coordinating Minister of Finance and Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.