Nigeria and Mali have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation on peace, security and development in the Sahel and West Africa.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The ministers exchanged views on developments in Mali, the Sahel and the wider West African region, including terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime, trafficking, arms proliferation and illicit financial flows.
Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the importance of sustained regional cooperation and African-led solutions to the continent’s peace and security challenges.
Discussions also covered Mali’s relationship with ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), African Union peace and security mechanisms, regional integration, bilateral trade, economic cooperation and people-to-people relations.
Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to maintain constructive consultations with Mali and strengthen cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including mutual support for Nigeria’s multilateral candidatures.
The engagement builds on the two countries’ July 2026 agreement to revitalise their Joint Commission, with security, trade, energy, irregular migration, human trafficking and the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) identified as priority areas.
Nigeria remains committed to promoting regional dialogue and supporting peaceful, African-led responses to the interconnected security and development challenges facing West Africa and the Sahel.
