Nigerian Vice President's Visit to Boost Cooperative Ties

Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan at the event. Photo: VNA

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan held phone talks with Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo on Sep. 30, reported VNA.

Xuan welcomed the upcoming visit to Vietnam by Osinbajo, affirming that the trip will offer both sides a chance to review bilateral cooperation and outline specific measures to boost cooperative ties.

She also hailed positive progress in multifaceted collaboration between the two countries over the past years.

Speaking highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements over the past years, Osinbajo affirmed that Nigeria treasures Vietnam’s role and position in the region and the world.

The two leaders expressed wish to improve the efficiency of bilateral collaboration in the near future. They agreed to step up trade and investment promotion activities, and beef up cooperation in energy, agriculture, education and sports.

Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo. Source: businessamlive.com

Both sides pledged to accelerate talks and signing of agreements to create favourable conditions for bilateral multifaceted cooperation.

They vowed to continue working closely together and offering mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and the African Union.

They expressed support for efforts to enhance developing countries’ access to Covid-19 vaccines and transfer of vaccine production technologies.

The Vice Presidents also exchanged views on several regional and global issues of shared concern.

Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN receives in audience the Vietnam Ambassador to Nigeria at the State House, Abuja. Aug 9, 2021. Photo: Tolani Alli

Vice President Osinbajo said that Nigeria and Vietnam will immensely benefit if they collaborate to explore the existing opportunities in agriculture and technology in both countries during a courtesy visit by Ambassador of Vietnam to Nigeria Luong Quoc Thinh in August, Vanguard News Nigeria reported.

The Nigerian Vice President said such collaboration will deepen the friendly relations existing between both countries.

He was quoted as saying, “There are specific areas where we have talked about in the past, agriculture is one. There was also talk about cashew processing and rice growing and rice processing where Vietnam has shown great innovation and great success. We think that these are areas where we certainly can do a lot more with cooperation.”

Osinbajo also noted that other areas of collaboration between Nigeria and Vietnam would be in the interaction of young people actively engaged within the technology space in both countries.

“I know that Vietnam is doing interesting things in technology and telecoms sectors. I think that we should look for opportunities where young people in Nigeria and Vietnam can interact especially in technology and share ideas, innovation, and their different attainments. I certainly would like us to explore that possibility, especially in the area of technology with our young people,” he said.

Osinbajo also thanked the Vietnamese government for the donation of medical supplies to the Nigerian Mission in Hanoi.

In his remarks, Vietnamese ambassador commended Nigeria’s role in Africa “as being enormous,” adding that Vietnam “would always wish to have Nigeria’s support in multilateral forums, most importantly the United Nations.”

He expressed optimism that Nigeria “would soon recognize Vietnam as a country of full market economy and Nigeria and Vietnam would sign an agreement on investment, promotion, and protection.”

According to him, 5,000- 7,000 Nigerians are studying and helping in the development of the economy of Vietnam.

The diplomat also requested the consideration of direct flights between Nigeria and Vietnam.

In 2019, the Vietnamese government had requested to be allowed to increase rice imports into Nigeria and canvassed for stronger ties in cultural and sports exchanges.

Regarding the upcoming official visit to Vietnam of the Nigerian Vice President, Nigeria would be pushing pending Vietnam memorandums of understanding (MoUs) when the visit finally holds, according to business a.m.

Other items on Osinbajo’s itinerary shall include attending the opening ceremony of a trade fair in Hanoi and viewing products of the Nigeria exhibition (PONEx) stand, stated the article published on Sep. 6.

The Nigerian ministries, departments and agencies related with the visit are: justice; industry, trade and investment; foreign affairs; Nigerian export promotion council; and Nigerian investment promotion council. Others are small and medium enterprises development agency, the Nigerian-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, private sector investors, and the Nigerian National Assembly.

Vice President Osinbajo is expected to deliver a keynote address at a Nigeria–Vietnam summit, with the theme: “Nigeria–Vietnam Partnering for Substanaible Mutual Benefit.”

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