Nigeria: Joint press conference following the 8th Nigeria-EU Ministerial Dialogue by High Representative Kallas and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Tuggar

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Dear Minister, dear Yusuf,

It is really my great pleasure to be here in Nigeria today. And this morning, we co-chaired the Nigeria-EU Ministerial Dialogue. Nigeria is a key partner to the European Union, and a strong potential is there also to deepen our cooperation even further.

This may be my first visit to Nigeria, but I know the strength of your country, and this will not be the last. As Africa's most populous nation and economic engine, you are a political heavyweight and also a regional anchor. Nigeria's stability is crucial for the entire region.

EU-Nigeria cooperation has grown steadily in recent years, and we want this positive track to continue. So, this morning, we also spoke about key areas where we work closely together.

First, on security, Nigeria faces a dangerous rise in jihadist violence. Extremist groups like Boko Haram pose not only a threat to Nigeria, but also to the region. Nigeria is a bulwark in the fight against terrorism, and Europe stands shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria.

Over the past decade, we have mobilised more than €700 million to support counterterrorism, stabilisation, rule of law and the Multinational Joint Task Force. But our cooperation is not only tactical; it is also strategic. Earlier this year, we launched the first EU-Nigeria Peace, Security and Defence Dialogue, and this is how we turn our partnership into action, by defining the priorities and strengthening cooperation.

Nigeria is also a major partner on trade, investment and the green and digital transitions. The EU is Nigeria's main trading and investment partner. More than a quarter of Nigeria's trade is with the European Union. Over 200 European companies are operating here and creating 130 000 jobs.

The EU's Global Gateway programme is well on track with Nigeria and in Nigeria. And today, we move forward with new projects in digital, agriculture and health worth 66 million euros of grants and 221 million euros in low interest loans. The EU-Nigeria Business Forum, which we will organise in Lagos in June will boost the investments and partnerships between our companies and private sector organisations. We also look forward to negotiating with Nigeria the Science, Technology and Innovation agreement under the Horizon Europe programme. And all this is a win for Nigeria, but it is also a win for the European Union.

And third, on migration. We have made real progress on the EU-Nigeria Readmission Agreement to ensure safe and dignified returns of those Nigerians who can no longer stay in the European Union. So, I thank you, Yusuf, for your leadership, really, in these negotiations and also for initialising the agreement today. This is part of a broader cooperation on migration. It shows that even on sensitive issues, trust delivers results.

And finally, we discussed the broader regional outlook. West Africa faces serious challenges from unconstitutional changes of power, terrorist threats in the Sahel spilling over to neighbouring countries, to humanitarian crises in parts of the region. In this turbulent situation, the defence of the rules-based international order matters more than ever.

That is why the EU remains firmly committed to its partnership with ECOWAS. We strongly support ECOWAS as a framework for regional stability, as the future of standby force illustrates. And you can count on our long-term commitment.

Dear Minister, the EU is a reliable and predictable partner for Nigeria. We believe in this partnership, and I hope today's discussions also kicks off an ambitious upgrade of the EU-Nigeria partnership.

Thank you again for hosting us and welcoming us so warmly.

Q&A

I wanted to get your reaction on Donald Trump seemingly backing down on Iran. That just happened in the last couple of hours. And I am also curious to know if there are any critical minerals deals you have signed with Nigeria during this visit.

I think that the recent statement that there will be no attacks on energy infrastructure is a very welcome development. I think that any attacks on infrastructure are causing chaos in the region and they are really escalating this war even further. When it comes to critical raw materials, we were discussing this today. I think there is definitely room for cooperation. We have not yet signed a Memorandum of Understanding, but we definitely have an interest and we are working to find a common solution.