By Ebi Kesiena
Nigeria is stepping up strategic partnerships with Kuwait to advance education, food security, and critical infrastructure development, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, hosted the Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Dr. Waleed Al-Bahar, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Monday.
According to a statement from the Minister’s media office, the high-level meeting focused on translating Nigeria-Kuwait goodwill into concrete projects aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ambassador Tuggar commended the Kuwait Fund for its long-standing support for social and economic development across the Global South, noting that Nigeria and Kuwait’s diplomatic ties, established in the 1960s, remain a strong platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Focus on Education and Human Capital
A major highlight of the discussions was education and human capital development, with both sides reviewing the success of the Reaching Out-of-School Children initiative in Kaduna State, which is supported by KFAED in partnership with UNICEF.
Ambassador Tuggar called for scaling similar interventions nationwide to tackle Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis and improve access to quality education.
Strengthening Food Security and Agricultural Cooperation
On food security, the Minister proposed expanded collaboration in modern agriculture, including irrigation projects, agro-processing facilities, and technology transfer. He emphasized that these initiatives would not only enhance Nigeria’s domestic food production but also create synergies with Kuwait’s reliance on agricultural imports, opening pathways for shared innovation.
Infrastructure and Future Engagements
The talks also touched on transportation, power, and digital infrastructure, with Ambassador Tuggar urging continued concessional financing and technical support from the Kuwait Fund to accelerate Nigeria’s development drive.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to host the inaugural Nigeria-Kuwait Joint Commission for Cooperation later this year, which will institutionalize dialogue and fast-track bilateral projects.
The meeting ended on an optimistic note, with both parties committed to converting their shared vision into tangible results for the benefit of the citizens of both nations.
