Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has been appointed the vice-chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

Magnus Eze, the spokesperson for the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s emergence as vice-chair was made at the group’s meeting held on the margins of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2026) in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

The meeting, which was attended by King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, leaders, and representatives of the 56 members of the Commonwealth, marked another diplomatic milestone for Nigeria.

“The minister’s appointment places Nigeria in a strategic leadership position within one of the Commonwealth’s most consequential ministerial mechanisms and reinforces the country’s engagement in shaping conversations.

“Also is its engagement in the collective responses on democratic governance, institutional accountability, and the protection of fundamental freedoms across the Commonwealth,” the statement said.

It added that Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s appointment underscores Nigeria’s continued participation in Commonwealth affairs and its role in advancing dialogue, cooperation, and respect for the shared principles that bind the 56-member organisation.

The group, currently chaired by Malta’s Chris Fearne, is often rotated among foreign affairs ministers and is mandated to uphold and protect the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values, particularly democracy, human rights, good governance, and the rule of law.

The group was established in 1995 under the Millbrook Commonwealth Action Plan to respond to breaches of shared values, assess developments in member states, and recommend collective action where necessary. 

(NAN)