Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, on Wednesday led a high-level delegation to Burkina Faso, where he met with the country’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou.
Ambassador Tuggar said the visit was undertaken at the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and conveyed a message of solidarity and goodwill from the Nigerian leader to the Burkinabe authorities. He noted that the engagement underscored Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting regional integration.
Discussions between both sides focused on enhancing political, security, and economic cooperation, with particular attention to coordinated responses to regional security challenges and collective action within existing sub-regional frameworks.
The talks also led to the amicable resolution of issues surrounding Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew, a development both parties described as reinforcing mutual confidence and demonstrating the value of sustained dialogue in resolving sensitive matters.
Captain Traoré welcomed the Nigerian delegation and expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the message of fraternity. He acknowledged the longstanding ties between Nigeria and Burkina Faso and stressed the need for closer collaboration to address shared security and development challenges in the Sahel and the wider West African region.
Ambassador Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to good neighbourliness and continued engagement with Burkina Faso, adding that Nigeria remains supportive of initiatives aimed at strengthening regional cohesion, peace, and economic integration. He conveyed President Tinubu’s readiness to work closely with Burkina Faso to advance stability and development.
Both sides agreed to maintain regular consultations and pursue practical steps to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration in the sub-region.
Members of the delegation also visited the detained Nigerian Air Force crew, who were described as being in high spirits.
The delegation included the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; the Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Olawale Emmanuel Awe; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Wahab Akande.
