Nigeria: Thailand and Nigeria Sign Technical MoU and Announce Business Forum in Lagos

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, signed a technical cooperation MoU in Abuja on August 25, 2026, with Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during bilateral talks, according to a Thai Foreign Ministry statement released via Africa Newsroom (APO). The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, manufacturing, energy, agriculture, digital technologies, and services, as well as to strengthen private sector ties through their respective chambers of commerce. Sihasak Phuangketkeow presented Nigeria as Thailand's strategic partner in Africa, with both nations serving as gateways connecting Africa and Southeast Asia. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu praised the Thai development, education, agriculture, and tourism model, and expressed Nigeria's willingness to exchange know-how and experience. The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the Thailand-Africa Initiative (TAI) and the sustainable agricultural technology learning center project led by the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Federal Cooperative College in Oji River, Enugu State, which could potentially be expanded into trilateral cooperation involving ECOWAS and the African Union. A Thailand-Nigeria Business Forum is scheduled in Lagos on August 27, 2026. This agreement formalizes a consultation framework and potentially opens access for Thai companies to Africa's largest market, while offering Nigeria new technological and agricultural partnerships. This move is part of Bangkok's diversification of trade outlets toward sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria's non-oil economic diversification strategy, as Abuja seeks to attract investments ma...