Nigeria and Russia are poised to deepen bilateral ties using the platform of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA). Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made this statement on Tuesday at the stakeholders’ interactive session during the visit of the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The minister described the meeting as timely, noted that it afforded a platform for both countries to explore investment opportunities. She acknowledged that Nigeria and Russia share decades of friendship, cooperation, and solidarity cutting across education, defence, energy, technology, and multilateral diplomacy, and declared that the moment demanded that they went beyond history and looked boldly into the future.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to inclusive growth, youth empowerment, and active engagement with global partners, which she said resonated strongly with the mission of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance.
The minister praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her tireless commitment to advancing the cause of women and girls. She noted that through initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the First Lady has championed women’s empowerment programmes, education for the girl-child, and support systems that enable women to thrive in business, politics, and community development. Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the First Lady as an excellent example of the transformative power of women in shaping societies and building bridges across nations.
Welcoming the Russian delegation, Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that the decision of its Chairperson, Ms. Anna Nesterova, to bring the dynamism of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance to Nigeria was a strong affirmation of her commitment to building inclusive economic partnerships. She emphasized that the technical session offered an invaluable opportunity to explore areas of strategic cooperation, including trade and investment, agriculture, energy, digital innovation, and education.
The minister stressed that the gathering was more than a symbolic event and must serve as a platform for actionable outcomes, identifying frameworks for cooperation, establishing joint ventures, and building enduring networks between Nigerian and Russian women entrepreneurs. She affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with Russian counterparts to promote inclusive prosperity and expressed confidence that the discussions would provide a roadmap for stronger bilateral relations and new opportunities that would uplift the lives of citizens.
