Nigeria and Mali have strengthened political consultations and renewed their commitment to closer cooperation on security and development challenges confronting the Sahel and West Africa.
The commitment followed a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both countries to exchange views on developments in Mali, the Sahel and the wider West African region, while exploring ways to deepen bilateral relations.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s longstanding historical ties with Mali and stressed Abuja’s interest in a stable, peaceful and prosperous Sahel.
She noted that the security challenges affecting the region were increasingly cross-border in nature, citing terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime, trafficking, arms proliferation and illicit financial flows as threats requiring stronger regional cooperation.
The minister also underscored the importance of African ownership of solutions to the continent’s peace and security challenges, while encouraging sustained dialogue between Mali, West African countries and regional institutions.
The discussions further covered Mali’s evolving relationship with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), African Union peace and security mechanisms, regional integration, bilateral trade and economic relations, as well as mobility and people-to-people contacts.
Both ministers also explored opportunities for expanding economic cooperation and strengthening relations between the peoples of Nigeria and Mali.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s willingness to sustain constructive bilateral consultations with Mali and expressed Abuja’s interest in continued cooperation at the multilateral level, including mutual support for Nigeria’s multilateral candidatures.
The latest engagement builds on discussions held in July 2026, when Nigeria and Mali agreed to revitalise their Joint Commission and identified security, trade, energy, irregular migration, human trafficking and the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) as priority areas for bilateral cooperation.
The meeting come as Nigeria continues to promote regional dialogue and cooperation on peace, security and integration, with emphasis on peaceful and African-led responses to interconnected security and development challenges across West Africa and the Sahel.
