Nigeria has urged Africa and Europe to forge a stronger and more balanced partnership to effectively respond to rising global geopolitical challenges, with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, calling for cooperation built on mutual respect, shared responsibility and strategic interests.
The minister made the call while speaking at the Portugal EurAfrican Forum 2026 during a panel discussion on geopolitics themed, "How Will Africa and Europe Navigate Global Geopolitical Turmoil?"
She said the world is facing unprecedented challenges, including armed conflicts, economic fragmentation, terrorism, climate change, food insecurity and disruptions to global supply chains, stressing that no region can confront these issues in isolation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu argued that Africa should be regarded as a strategic global partner rather than a continent defined by humanitarian crises or resource extraction, citing its youthful population, vast natural resources, expanding consumer markets and growing innovation ecosystem.
She identified four priority areas for enhanced Africa-Europe cooperation, including industrialisation and infrastructure development to strengthen economic resilience, deeper collaboration on peace, security and counter-terrorism, increased climate financing and technology transfer, as well as reforms of global governance institutions to give Africa permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council.
The minister reaffirmed that Nigeria's foreign policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda is driven by strategic engagement, economic diplomacy, regional peace and mutually beneficial international partnerships.
She also emphasised the need for Africa to pursue strategic autonomy by engaging global partners from a position of confidence while protecting its national and continental interests.
According to her, Africa and Europe must move beyond relationships based on dependency and embrace partnerships founded on trust, innovation and shared responsibility to effectively navigate global uncertainties and promote sustainable development.