Nigeria Reaffirms Commitment to Stronger Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to sustaining and strengthening its diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, a partnership that dates back to 1973.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja.

Discussions between both officials focused on assessing the current state of bilateral relations and identifying practical pathways to deepen cooperation across strategic sectors.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu underscored the importance of maintaining full diplomatic representation in both Abuja and Tehran, expressing confidence that Nigeria’s ambassador to Iran would soon be deployed.

She emphasized Nigeria’s readiness to move beyond diplomatic goodwill and translate existing political understanding into measurable outcomes through institutional frameworks such as the Nigeria-Iran Joint Commission.

According to the minister, Nigeria remains committed to constructive dialogue, enhanced South-South cooperation, and sustained collaboration within multilateral platforms.

In his remarks, Ambassador Raja conveyed greetings from Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and reiterated Tehran’s determination to further consolidate relations with Nigeria.

He described Nigeria as a key pillar in Iran’s Africa strategy, particularly within the West African sub-region, and stressed the necessity of restoring full diplomatic presence in both capitals to accelerate shared objectives.

The envoy also called for the convening of the 7th Session of the Nigeria-Iran Joint Commission in Abuja and advocated for the activation of political consultationion mechanism to institutionalize regular high-level engagements between the two nations.

Both sides signalled a renewed willingness to expand cooperation and reinforce diplomatic channels in pursuit of mutual interests.