Nigeria and Spain have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations following a high-level diplomatic engagement between the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Spain’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Félix Costales Artieda, in Abuja.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, focused on advancing cooperation across key sectors including security, migration management, economic investment, legal collaboration, and cultural exchange, as both countries seek to deepen longstanding diplomatic ties.
Welcoming the Spanish envoy and his delegation, Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the historic relationship between Nigeria and Spain, noting that the engagement provided an opportunity to consolidate gains from recent high-level exchanges, including the official visit of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Madrid. She commended Ambassador Costales for his proactive diplomatic engagement since assuming duty in Abuja.
In his remarks, Ambassador Costales emphasized Spain’s interest in strengthening structured political consultations between both nations and operationalizing existing bilateral frameworks, particularly the Memorandum of Understanding on political dialogue. He proposed regular consultations at ministerial and senior official levels to ensure sustained monitoring of bilateral progress.
The Spanish Ambassador also pointed to recent milestones in legal cooperation, including agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, extradition, and transfer of sentenced prisoners. He disclosed that Spain has completed its internal ratification process for the extradition agreement signed during the 2022 State Visit of former President Muhammadu Buhari to Spain, expressing optimism that Nigeria would finalize its own ratification procedures soon.
Security cooperation featured prominently during discussions, with Ambassador Costales referencing Spain’s collaboration with Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre and a recent technical workshop on victims of terrorism organized alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He reiterated Spain’s readiness to deepen collaboration through knowledge sharing, victim support initiatives, and broader counter-terrorism engagement.
Responding, Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the importance of addressing the humanitarian consequences of terrorism, particularly the needs of internally displaced persons and affected communities. She underscored social cohesion, post-conflict rehabilitation, and deradicalization as essential components of sustainable security.
Both sides also examined migration challenges, especially irregular migration routes across the Mediterranean. The Minister of State expressed concern over loss of lives along migration corridors toward Ceuta and Melilla, emphasizing the need for economic opportunities, youth employment initiatives, and investment partnerships to address root causes of migration pressures.
On economic cooperation, Ambassador Costales described Spain as one of Nigeria’s key energy trading partners, particularly in gas imports, while expressing interest in expanding Spanish private sector investment. He cited the participation of Spanish engineering firm Técnicas Reunidas in Nigeria’s energy sector and the growing presence of multinational technology company Indra in digital and security solutions.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu observed that Spanish commercial presence in Nigeria remains below its full potential despite strong trade relations. Drawing from her experience as Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, she advocated renewed initiatives to promote investment and cultural exchange, including proposals for a cultural and business facilitation centre.
She further noted that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms including currency stabilization, renewable energy expansion, infrastructure development, and youth-driven digital innovation present fresh opportunities for Spanish investors, particularly given Nigeria’s youthful population.
The discussions also covered tourism cooperation, educational exchanges, and cultural diplomacy. Spain expressed interest in expanding Spanish language promotion and cultural partnerships, while Nigeria welcomed increased institutional cultural presence to strengthen people-to-people relations.
On multilateral cooperation, Spain reaffirmed engagement with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while Nigeria reiterated its commitment to regional stability, democratic governance, and economic integration within West Africa.
Both diplomats also exchanged views on international candidatures and reaffirmed mutual support within multilateral institutions.
Concluding the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to deepen cooperation under Spain’s Africa Strategy and Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities, emphasizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to strengthening economic diplomacy and accelerating bilateral processes.
The engagement reaffirmed the shared commitment of Nigeria and Spain to a strategic partnership anchored on structured dialogue, security collaboration, and expanded economic cooperation for mutual prosperity.
