Nigeria and Kuwait have reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing bilateral development ties following a high-level meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and the Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Dr Waleed Al-Bahar.
A statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, confirmed that Ambassador Tuggar received the Kuwaiti delegation and reflected on the historic, friendly relations between both countries dating back to the 1960s.
He praised the Kuwait Fund’s role in advancing development across the Global South, including its interventions in Nigeria, describing the meeting as a significant step in accelerating shared priorities under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The two sides discussed Nigeria’s key development objectives, including infrastructure rehabilitation, human capital investment, poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and diversification of the economy. Particular attention was given to the education sector, with a review of the successful Reaching Out-of-School Children programme in Kaduna State, a collaborative effort between KFAED and UNICEF.
“The success in Kaduna shows what’s possible,” said Tuggar, encouraging the expansion of similar education programmes nationwide to bridge Nigeria’s learning gap.
Food security was also a central topic, with both parties exploring joint efforts in modernising agriculture through irrigation infrastructure, agro-processing systems, and the application of new technologies.
Tuggar remarked that Kuwait’s own dependence on food imports presents an opportunity for collaborative innovation and long-term agricultural sustainability.
Conversations also extended to potential infrastructure investments in transport, electricity, and digital networks. The Minister encouraged the continuation of concessional financing and technical support from the Kuwait Fund to advance Nigeria’s development agenda.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s preparedness to host the inaugural session of the Nigeria-Kuwait Joint Commission for Cooperation later this year. The Commission is expected to formalise bilateral dialogue and fast-track the implementation of joint development initiatives.
Both parties ended the meeting with a strong sense of optimism and a commitment to turning diplomatic cooperation into tangible benefits for the citizens of both nations.
