Nigeria, Kuwait deepen ties on education, food security, and infrastructure
By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
Nigeria and Kuwait are set to strengthen bilateral ties with a focus on key development areas, including education, food security, and infrastructure, following a high-level meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and the Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Dr. Waleed Al-Bahar.
The meeting, held on Monday, August 4, 2025, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscored a renewed commitment to enhancing cooperation between the two nations, which have maintained cordial diplomatic relations since the 1960s.
Ambassador Tuggar praised KFAED’s role in promoting economic and social development across the Global South and commended the Fund’s ongoing support for projects in Nigeria.
In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir,
Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said:
Discussions focused on aligning Kuwait’s development support with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, youth empowerment, and human capital development. The Minister highlighted ongoing challenges such as poverty, underdeveloped infrastructure, and limited access to quality education, calling for expanded collaboration to address these issues.
Education featured prominently in the talks, with both parties reflecting on the success of the Reaching Out-of-School Children initiative in Kaduna State. Backed by KFAED and implemented in partnership with UNICEF, the initiative was described by Tuggar as a model for nationwide expansion.
On food security, Ambassador Tuggar called for increased investment in agricultural modernization, including irrigation systems, agro-processing, and knowledge sharing in technology. He noted that both Nigeria and Kuwait stand to benefit from innovative solutions due to their respective needs in food importation and agricultural productivity.
Infrastructure was also a central theme, with proposals for new projects in transportation, energy, and digital connectivity. Tuggar appealed for sustained concessional financing and technical assistance from KFAED to bring these ambitions to life.
To institutionalize bilateral cooperation, the Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to hosting the inaugural session of the Nigeria-Kuwait Joint Commission for Cooperation later this year. The commission is expected to serve as a platform for structured dialogue and project implementation.
The meeting ended with both parties expressing optimism about the future of Nigeria-Kuwait relations, pledging to translate shared goodwill into concrete outcomes that will benefit citizens of both nations.
