Nigeria and The Gambia have agreed to revive their joint bilateral commission as part of efforts to review dormant agreements and explore new areas of cooperation.
The agreement was reached on Wednesday during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and the Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sering Modou Njie.
The two diplomats met on the margins of the ongoing ECOWAS mid-year summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye commended the long-standing relations between the two West African nations and reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to deepening their “brotherly ties” for mutual benefit.
Indelible history of support
The Gambian foreign minister expressed deep gratitude for Nigeria’s historic interventions, noting that the country’s current political stability is a direct result of Abuja’s timely mediation.
“The Gambia remains grateful to Nigeria for the leadership role the country played during the political impasse experienced in 2017.”
Mr Njie also praised Nigeria’s continued support in building capacity through the following:
- The Technical Aid Corps (TAC): The deployment of highly qualified Nigerian professionals to support the Gambian education, medical, and legal sectors.
- Military Assistance: The ongoing deployment of Nigerian troops to the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (Ecomig) and the training of Gambian officers in Nigerian military academies.
Commitment to pan-African unity
In response, Ambassador Enikanolaiye emphasized that Nigeria remains resolutely committed to promoting pan-African unity, solidarity, and development.
He highlighted the Technical Aid Corps as a key foreign policy platform through which Nigeria will continue to deploy professionals to African and Caribbean countries to support local manpower development.
With the planned resuscitation of the Nigeria-Gambia Joint Commission, both nations hope to transition from historical security cooperation to broader economic and administrative partnerships.
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