Nigeria and Algeria are making moves to revive economic ties under the auspices of a Bi-Natiinal Commission set up in 2002.
The Foreign Ministers of both countries expressed this commitment on Wednesday at a meeting in Abuja.
The Bi-national Commission was set up eighteen years ago to explore deeper ties such as the Transahara Gas pipeline, a highway linking both countries across the Sahara desert, among other projects, and both ministers, Godfrey Onyeama and Sabri Boukadun said this was x-rayed in their after meeting, and told journalists that a lot will be achieved moving forward.
Diplomatic ties established were established since 1962 when Algeria got it’s independence from France- after years of bloody wars.
Boukadum’s visit to Nigeria is the next highest level meeting since 2018 when officials from both countries met to revive the moribund Bi-national commission.
Two years earlier, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had gone to Algiers and met with then longtime leader, Boutefllika.
Cooperation in the anti-terrorism war is an area both countries will definitely be looking at due to the activities of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and the ISWAP in Nigeria’s NorthEast. Issues that are of mutual concern.
The Algerian minister had earlier visited the ECOWAS commission located in Abuja and held closed -door talks with the Commission’s president, Jean Brou
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This comes at a time the West African sub-regional body, ECOWAS is considering the application by a North African country, Morocco, to join the fifteen-nation bloc.
Additional Information by Sola Jaiyesimi