Nigeria says it is committed to overhauling the Nigeria–Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation to strengthen the collaboration between the two countries for mutually beneficial development.

Deputy foreign affairs minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said this during the visit of Kenya’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina, to her office in Abuja.

She described the visit as a “renewed demonstration” of both countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing structured cooperation under existing diplomatic frameworks.

Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Kenya’s commitment to revitalising the JCC, which has not convened in over a decade.

She said the reactivation of the commission remains the most effective institutional mechanism for consolidating bilateral collaboration, reviewing memoranda of understanding, and ensuring measurable implementation outcomes.

She emphasised that, while numerous MoUs were signed across Africa, the absence of structured review mechanisms often limits their practical impact.

“It is important to focus on priority sectors capable of delivering visible benefits to citizens of our two countries,” she added.

The minister highlighted key areas of mutual interest, including trade facilitation, fintech innovation, digital agriculture, livestock development, tourism, migration management, and anti-human trafficking cooperation.

She also underscored Nigeria’s population of over 230 million and Kenya’s approaching 60 million as a shared responsibility to drive intra-African trade and economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.

Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern over irregular migration, human trafficking networks, cybercrime syndicates, and the exploitation of vulnerable youths, stressing the need for preventive and collaborative mechanisms.

This, she said, included potential cooperation between Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Kenyan counterparts.

Mr Parashina reaffirmed Nairobi’s strong commitment to deepening relations with Nigeria.

He said Kenya was keen to operationalise visa reciprocity arrangements and use the commission to address outstanding issues, creating safer and more predictable travel and business environments for citizens of both nations.

Mr Parashina also highlighted Kenya’s role in hosting the upcoming Africa-France Summit, describing it as a continental platform aimed at strengthening Africa-France partnerships and enabling African countries to negotiate from positions of greater ownership and coordination.

(NAN)