Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, has affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deeper South-South economic cooperation.
He said this during a meeting with his Tunisian counterpart, Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, in Abuja on Friday.
Bagudu stated that stronger collaboration among countries with shared aspirations, like Nigeria and Tunisia, would accelerate their development and reduce their dependence on the North, developed countries.
READ ALSO: Bagudu: FG to boost transport sector through innovative PPP models
The meeting, which also included senior Tunisian officials, highlighted a renewed drive to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Bagudu revealed that President Bola Tinubu has directed the upscaling of bilateral cooperation and deepening of partnerships with strategic allies like Tunisia that share Nigeria’s development aspirations.
The focus areas for enhanced collaboration include national planning, trade expansion, investment mobilisation and development strategy.
Bagudu described the meeting as a “convergence of two ministries united by similar mandates and shared development ambitions”, emphasising it was an opportunity to “shape a new phase of collaboration.”
The minister noted the strong alignment between Nigeria’s planning system and Tunisia’s bottom-up, regionally coordinated approach.
He disclosed that Nigerian officials are currently studying Tunisia’s planning frameworks to identify opportunities for knowledge exchange, particularly in digital transformation, pharmaceutical development, industrial innovation and investment facilitation
Bagudu explicitly linked Tunisia’s emphasis on digital growth in its 2026–2030 plan with Nigeria’s goal of building a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
He stated that Nigeria is ready to advance cooperation immediately and would expedite preparations for a reciprocal visit to Tunisia.
Tunisia views Nigeria as strategic ally
However, Abdelhafidh expressed deep appreciation for the reception and conveyed his country’s strong interest in a durable and mutually beneficial partnership.
He described Nigeria as a “regional powerhouse and a strategic ally” in shaping the future of the African and Arab economic space, noting that the shared mandates of their ministries create a “natural basis for collaboration.”
Abdelhafidh elaborated on Tunisia’s development planning approach, which aggregates priorities from local councils and regional assemblies to ensure national planning reflects real needs on the ground.
READ ALSO: Bagudu: Tax reforms aimed at job creation, economic growth
He proposed immediate cooperation in areas where Tunisia holds strong capabilities: digital economy and e-governance systems, industrial modernisation and manufacturing, pharmaceutical and health technology development and investment facilitation.
He further stressed the significance of both countries’ participation in the Arab–African Trade Programme as a timely platform for deepening trade and building cross-regional economic value chains.
