The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral relations with the Czech Republic through enhanced institutional cooperation, trade partnerships, technology transfer, and sustainable development initiatives.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following a meeting between the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria, Tomas Vyprachticky, in Abuja.
During the meeting, Ambassador Vyprachticky congratulated the minister on her appointment and conveyed the goodwill of the Czech Government towards sustained diplomatic engagement with Nigeria. He reiterated the commitment of the Czech Republic to expanding cooperation with Nigeria in key sectors such as agriculture, investment, industrialisation, healthcare, renewable energy, education, innovation, and technical cooperation.
The envoy described Nigeria as a strategic partner with immense political and economic potential in Sub-Saharan Africa, noting that the Czech Embassy in Abuja remained actively involved in facilitating government-to-government and business-to-business partnerships aimed at promoting mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
Officials of the Czech Embassy also highlighted ongoing developmental and commercial projects across several Nigerian states, including Taraba, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Plateau, Lagos, Rivers, and Zamfara.
Particular reference was made to the delivery of nearly 1,000 specially designed tractors and agricultural equipment to Taraba State in 2024. The equipment, jointly designed by engineers from Nigeria and the Czech Republic, was aimed at boosting mechanised farming and improving agricultural productivity in the state.
In her remarks, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu recalled the longstanding cordial relations between Nigeria and the former Czechoslovakia, especially in the areas of industrialisation, technical cooperation, educational exchange programmes, and machinery supply.
She commended the Czech Republic for its developmental contributions to Nigeria and stressed the need to institutionalise bilateral engagements through a stronger coordination mechanism.
The minister therefore proposed the revitalisation of bilateral frameworks, including the establishment of a Joint Commission mechanism to coordinate cooperation in critical sectors such as trade, agriculture, defence, education, technology, and industrial development.
Both countries expressed satisfaction with the steady growth in Nigeria-Czech Republic relations and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening diplomatic engagement and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
