The federal government has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to entrenching democracy in Africa.

Deputy foreign affairs minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The statement came against the backdrop of Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu receiving her Malawi counterpart, Nancy Tembo, on a courtesy visit to the ministry.

According to her, the promotion of democracy is one of the pillars of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s foreign policy approach, codenamed the ‘4-Ds’ (Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora).

Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, “I know too that the Nigerian government will support Malawi in its general elections coming up in September this year. In our President’s Four-Ds foreign policy thrust, democracy is a major plank. President Bola Tinubu is committed to seeing democracy entrenched in African states.”

She thereby pledged Nigeria’s support to Malawi in the country’s forthcoming general elections, scheduled to take place in September this year.

The minister, who was informed by Malawi of definite plans to open its Embassy in Abuja this year, said it was a welcome development, stressing that it would bolster the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

She decried that the two memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries in 2012 have not been activated, expressing the hope that the establishment of the East African country’s embassy in Abuja would boost their bilateral relations.

Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu also urged Malawi to take advantage of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and bridge the gap caused by the shortage of trained teachers in its basic education system, as well as in any other area where the country might require manpower.

Ms Tembo told Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu that she took advantage of the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meeting 2025 in Abuja to visit her and build a closer relationship with Nigerian authorities.

Ms Tembo revealed that Malawi was determined to strengthen bilateral relationships with Nigeria, aside from plans by her country to open its Embassy in Abuja.

“The Afreximbank meeting was an opportunity for people to meet. My country is looking forward to bilateral cooperation with Nigeria. Already, we are comfortable with Nigerians doing business in Malawi.

“We want to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Nigeria. Afreximbank has helped us to awaken our relationship,” Ms Tembo said.

Ms Tembo hailed Nigerian businesspeople in Malawi, reiterating that adequate trade had been taking place between Nigeria and Malawi, although not widely reported, and thereby invited Nigerian investors to consider investing in the country’s rich mineral deposits.

She described her visit to Nigeria as exciting, saying she looked forward to receiving Nigeria’s Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Malawi.

(NAN)