Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reaffirmed the nation’s unwavering commitment to promoting democracy across Africa, describing it as a core element of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “4Ds” foreign policy agenda — Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.
She made this known during a bilateral meeting with Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nancy Gladys Tembo, who paid a courtesy visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, on the sidelines of the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings.
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Malawi, Nigeria
Odumegwu-Ojukwu pledged Nigeria’s technical and diplomatic support to Malawi as the Southern African country prepares for its general elections in September 2025.
“President Tinubu is committed to seeing democracy entrenched in African states. Nigeria will support Malawi in its forthcoming elections,” she said.
During the meeting, Minister Tembo announced plans by Malawi to establish a resident diplomatic mission in Abuja this year—a move Odumegwu-Ojukwu described as a step toward revitalizing long-standing bilateral ties between the two countries.
The Nigerian Minister noted that two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed in 2012 following President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to Malawi had not been activated. She expressed optimism that the planned embassy would usher in a new era of cooperation in trade, education, and diplomacy.
“It’s surprising that Nigeria and Malawi have not yet concretized our excellent bilateral relationship. Opening a resident diplomatic mission here will change that,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged Malawi to take advantage of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme to address gaps in trained manpower, particularly in education and healthcare.
“We are ready to deploy Nigerian professionals to Malawi. Countries like Namibia are already benefiting. We recently approved 40 nurses for deployment,” she added.
In response, Minister Tembo lauded Nigerian entrepreneurs in Malawi and invited more investors to explore the country’s growing mining sector.
“Malawi has traditionally depended on agriculture, but we’ve discovered rich mineral deposits and established a mining regulatory agency. We welcome Nigerian investors,” she said.
The Malawian delegation included Amb. Mwayiwawo Polepole, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Francis Mphatso Mponda, Director of Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting ended with both ministers expressing mutual interest in expanding cooperation across governance, trade, and people-to-people engagement.
