The Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on Wednesday 18 February 2026 received the High Commissioner of the Republic of Kenya to Nigeria, His Excellency Isaac Keen Parashina, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, signaling a renewed commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing structured cooperation under existing diplomatic frameworks.
Welcoming the High Commissioner and his delegation, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s appreciation for the longstanding cordial ties between Abuja and Nairobi. She highlighted Kenya’s proactive approach to deepening relations, particularly its commitment to revitalizing the Nigeria–Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC), which has not convened in over a decade.
The Minister emphasized that reactivating the Joint Commission would provide an effective institutional framework for consolidating bilateral collaboration, reviewing Memoranda of Understanding, and ensuring measurable implementation outcomes. She noted that while MoUs have been signed across Africa, the absence of structured review mechanisms often limits their practical impact and called for a focus on priority sectors capable of delivering tangible benefits to citizens of both countries.
Critical areas of mutual interest identified include trade facilitation, fintech innovation, digital agriculture, livestock development, tourism, migration management, and anti-human trafficking cooperation. Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted that as two of Africa’s largest and most dynamic economies, Nigeria with over 230 million people and Kenya approaching 60 million, both nations share a responsibility to drive intra-African trade and economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She further stressed the demographic imperative, noting the high proportion of youths under 45 in both countries. Addressing challenges such as migration pressures, digital transformation, and evolving labor markets, she underscored the need for coordinated African responses prioritizing job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovation-led growth, alongside collaborative measures against irregular migration, human trafficking, and cybercrime.
In his remarks, High Commissioner Parashina conveyed Kenya’s warm greetings and reaffirmed Nairobi’s commitment to strengthening ties with Nigeria. He highlighted Kenya’s interest in operationalizing visa reciprocity arrangements and leveraging the Joint Commission to create safer, more predictable travel and business environments. He also invited Nigeria’s participation in the upcoming Africa–France Summit in Nairobi, emphasizing the importance of private sector involvement and Africa-led negotiations.
The High Commissioner noted the success of the Kenya–Nigeria trade mission in November 2025 and welcomed Nigeria’s follow-up engagement to address identified logistical challenges. He reiterated Kenya’s readiness to collaborate closely with Nigeria to transform trade discussions into actionable outcomes.
On multilateral cooperation, both sides exchanged updates on international candidacies and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual support in global governance and United Nations reform efforts.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu concluded by emphasizing that Nigeria views Kenya as a strategic partner in advancing African solutions to shared challenges. She highlighted the need for structured engagement through the Joint Commission to identify priority ministries, define sectoral working groups, and regularly review implementation progress. She assured the High Commissioner of Nigeria’s readiness to facilitate swift communication and inter-ministerial coordination to expedite bilateral processes.
Both parties expressed optimism that the renewed diplomatic momentum would translate into measurable economic cooperation, strengthened trade linkages, enhanced mobility frameworks, and closer collaboration on regional security and migration management, reinforcing their shared commitment to a more integrated, prosperous, and self-reliant Africa.
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