By Ebi Kesiena
The Federal Government of Nigeria has applauded the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for its resilience and sustained sovereignty as the nation marked its 80th Independence Anniversary.
According to a statement signed by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, extended warm congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart, His Excellency Bùi Thanh Sơn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria.
Ambassador Tuggar noted that Vietnam’s anniversary stands as a remarkable testament to the unity, determination, and courage of its people in their pursuit of sovereignty, peace, and national development. He added that Nigeria joins Vietnam in celebrating this historic occasion, anchored on shared values of freedom, progress, and international cooperation.
Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Vietnam were established in 1976 during Vietnam’s struggle for reunification and strengthened in 2007 with the opening of embassies in each other’s capitals. Since then, ties have blossomed through cooperation in trade, agriculture, investment, education, and multilateral engagements, with trade volume between both countries reaching about $1 billion as of the last quarter of 2024.
Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Vietnam, exploring new areas of partnership, and promoting stronger people-to-people ties for mutual benefit.
The statement extended best wishes of peace, prosperity, and progress to the Government and people of Vietnam, while assuring them of Nigeria’s continuing friendship and support.