Nigeria will push a broad development, security and economic cooperation agenda at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, seeking stronger partnerships in humanitarian response, youth empowerment, investment and regional security.
The Nigerian delegation, led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is scheduled to participate in the ministerial meeting on Thursday, August 27, as the Federal Government seeks to leverage Nigeria’s membership of the 57-member organisation to advance national interests.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s participation would be guided by President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s four-D foreign policy doctrine of Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy.
Speaking to journalists before the delegation departed from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, the minister said Nigeria was attending the meeting with a focus on securing practical partnerships capable of delivering measurable benefits to citizens.
“This is a journey of strategic partnership and purpose devoid of ideological or religious fixation. Nigeria goes to Jeddah to advance cooperation that delivers real benefits to our people,” he said.
A major priority for Nigeria is the proposed operationalisation of a Nigeria-OIC Working Group on Humanitarian Affairs, which the government believes could strengthen joint responses to insecurity and humanitarian emergencies in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel.
The proposed framework is expected to support the rehabilitation of displaced and conflict-affected communities, promote interfaith dialogue and strengthen efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
The initiative comes amid persistent security and humanitarian challenges across parts of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, where conflict, displacement and violent extremism continue to place significant pressure on affected communities and governments.
Nigeria will also intensify its economic diplomacy at the meeting by presenting investment opportunities created by the country’s ongoing economic reforms.
According to Enikanolaiye, priority sectors to be showcased to OIC investors and institutions include agriculture, manufacturing, Business Process Outsourcing, automotive, oil and gas, and commerce.
The government will pursue both Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government partnerships, with the aim of attracting foreign direct investment, expanding productive capacity and accelerating economic diversification.
Youth development will constitute another key pillar of Nigeria’s engagement, with the country seeking expanded OIC-backed programmes in vocational training, women’s empowerment, healthcare and cultural exchanges.
Enikanolaiye said greater investment in skills development would equip young Nigerians with the capabilities needed to access economic opportunities while strengthening peace, unity and cooperation among member states.
The Jeddah meeting is also expected to have an important institutional dimension, with the election of a new OIC Secretary-General featuring prominently on the agenda.
The minister said Nigeria would engage constructively in the process and advocate for leadership committed to institutional reform, unity and people-centred programmes across the organisation.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to the OIC, noting that the country has been an active member since 1986.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s relationship with the organisation should not be viewed solely through a religious prism, stressing that OIC-supported programmes and projects in the country had provided development assistance without religious discrimination.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism and its determination to work with other member states to advance peace, development and international cooperation.
“We will work with all member states to ensure our collective decisions reflect the aspirations of over 1.8 billion people and contribute to global peace and development,” he said.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the Nigerian delegation is expected to hold bilateral discussions with foreign ministers and OIC officials on security, development, investment and humanitarian cooperation.
The Jeddah engagement provides Nigeria with an opportunity to translate its OIC membership into concrete partnerships addressing some of the country’s most pressing priorities, including regional security, humanitarian relief, job creation, investment and economic diversification.
