The Federal Government and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their strategic economic partnership as part of efforts to attract greater investment, expand trade, and accelerate sustainable economic growth, according to a statement by the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Friday in Abuja.

The commitment was reaffirmed at the 10th Nigeria–EU Business Forum, where government officials and European partners said ongoing economic reforms and stronger policy coordination were positioning Nigeria for increased investment and long-term private sector-led growth.

Speaking at the forum, the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said the event marked the first major milestone since both sides elevated their relationship to a strengthened Strategic Partnership during the EU–Nigeria Ministerial Meeting in March 2026.

“Today’s Business Forum is the first concrete illustration of this common purpose,” Mignot said.

He noted that the European Union accounts for 31 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign trade and remains the country’s largest source of foreign direct investment.

According to him, the partnership is gaining momentum through the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, expanded European Investment Bank operations, the commencement of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development activities in Nigeria, stronger Team Europe coordination, and a structured Nigeria-EU trade and investment dialogue.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu, described the Nigeria-EU relationship as “a strategic economic alliance” that extends beyond diplomatic engagement.

She disclosed that the partnership currently supports more than €35bn in annual trade, approximately €26bn in European foreign direct investment, and more than 130,000 direct jobs across Nigeria.

“The Nigeria-EU Business Forum has evolved beyond a dialogue platform. It has become an important vehicle for translating shared aspirations into investments, commercial partnerships, policy reforms, and development outcomes,” she said.

Audu said the forum had become a platform “where policy meets enterprise, where dialogue meets execution, and where opportunities are transformed into investments.”

She maintained that the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms were improving macroeconomic stability, strengthening investor confidence, and positioning Nigeria as a preferred destination for productive investment.

“The success of the Nigeria-EU partnership will be measured not only by the agreements we sign, but by the infrastructure we build, the industries we develop, and the technologies we deploy,” she added.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the forum reflected growing confidence in Nigeria’s reform programme and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating a more competitive investment climate.

“Our work here as government is simple: to listen, to partner, to further our collaborative interventions,” Oduwole said.

She added that recommendations from the private sector would help shape policies aimed at improving Nigeria’s competitiveness and attracting more investment into key sectors of the economy.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, who represented the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said Nigeria’s economic transformation was being driven by deliberate reforms, fiscal discipline, and coordinated implementation.

“Economic transformation is not a matter left to chance. It can only be achieved as a matter of choice, discipline, deliberate strategy, and coordinated implementation,” she said.

Uzoka-Anite explained that reforms in public financial management, taxation, and fiscal coordination were helping to channel public resources into priority sectors capable of creating jobs, attracting private capital, and delivering critical infrastructure.

She added that the investment facilities announced during the forum formed part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to strengthen partnerships with development finance institutions and the private sector to achieve sustainable economic growth.

Held under the theme, “Enhancing Sustainable Investment Together,” the 10th Nigeria-EU Business Forum brought together policymakers, investors, financial institutions, and business leaders from Nigeria and Europe to promote cooperation in renewable energy, digital infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, sustainable transport, and trade.

The forum was the first major business engagement following the elevation of Nigeria-EU relations to a strengthened Strategic Partnership and reflected both sides’ determination to translate policy commitments into tangible investments, improved infrastructure, and inclusive economic development.

The European Union is Nigeria’s largest trading partner and source of foreign direct investment, with bilateral cooperation spanning trade, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, digital innovation, and governance reforms. In March 2026, Nigeria and the EU agreed to elevate their relationship to a strengthened Strategic Partnership, creating a framework for deeper cooperation on economic diversification, industrialisation, climate resilience, and private sector development.

The partnership aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reform agenda, which includes fiscal and tax reforms, efforts to improve the ease of doing business, and policies aimed at attracting long-term domestic and foreign investment to stimulate growth, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s economy.

The Bank of Agriculture has unveiled a strategic roadmap aimed at modernising its operations, expanding grassroots financial inclusion, and accelerating agricultural transformation in line with the Federal Government’s food security agenda.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Ayodeji Sotinrin, said in a statement issued on Friday that the institution was implementing operational upgrades and forging strategic partnerships to improve the delivery of agricultural intervention programmes and empower smallholder farmers across the country.

According to the statement, the BOA said it was strengthening its agricultural delivery architecture by expanding collaborations with state-level delivery platforms, licensed input suppliers, and international development partners.

The bank said a key component of the strategy was its recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme, which aligns its revitalisation agenda with the UNDP’s Integrated Smart States Programme

It noted that the partnership would help transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector into an investment-ready system capable of attracting blended and climate finance while supporting the One Million Hectare Tree Crop Initiative, described as a presidential priority expected to boost commercial agriculture, job creation, and export diversification.

Sotinrin said, “Our vision for the Bank of Agriculture is to deploy capital in an intelligent, smart, and highly efficient way to reposition the institution as a catalyst for food security and rural prosperity. We are bringing everyone into the financial net, especially the youthful population of farmers in our hinterlands, to create a new, resilient food system for Nigeria.”

The bank also disclosed that it had overhauled its verification framework to eliminate fraudulent beneficiaries and ensure interventions reached genuine farmers.

According to the statement, the new credit profiling process incorporates Bank Verification Number checks, Know Your Customer protocols, and GPS farm mapping to strengthen transparency and accountability in loan disbursement.

Commenting on the initiative, the National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Muhammad Magaji, endorsed the verification measures while urging quicker loan disbursement.

He said, “The All Farmers Association of Nigeria recognises the critical role the Bank of Agriculture plays in shielding our farmers from exorbitant commercial interest rates. While we continuously advocate for faster disbursement cycles to match planting seasons, we stand with the BOA on the need for strict verification.

“It is the only way to ensure that these interventions reach the genuine smallholder farmers who actually till the soil, rather than ‘political farmers.’ We remain committed to working closely with the BOA management to fine-tune this delivery framework.”

The BOA further said it was modernising its nationwide operations by deploying digital farmer systems, agency banking models, and solar-powered infrastructure across its 110 branches to improve service delivery in rural communities.

It added that recent ICT infrastructure support from the UNDP would strengthen its digital transformation efforts and enable the bank to provide financial and extension services directly to farmers.

The bank said it would continue engaging commodity associations, verified grassroots cooperatives, and other agricultural stakeholders through town hall meetings and working groups to identify genuine beneficiaries and support the implementation of the National Agri-food System Investment Plan.

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc has increased its handling profile with the renewal of major international airline contracts and the signing of a fresh agreement with FlyGabon, even as it expands into the growing export logistics market with the shipment of solar cells to the United States.

The company announced in a statement that it had secured contract extensions with Qatar Airways, Saudia Airlines, and ASKY Airlines, while also adding FlyGabon to its growing list of airline partners.

According to the company, its partnership with Qatar Airways has been extended for another three years, reinforcing a long-standing relationship that has seen the Middle Eastern carrier consistently retain NAHCO as its preferred ground handling provider in Nigeria.

Similarly, Saudia Airlines renewed its agreement with NAHCO for another five years, while regional carrier ASKY Airlines also extended its contract with the company for an additional three-year period.

NAHCO also secured a three-year contract with FlyGabon. The agreement coincides with FlyGabon’s expansion into the Nigerian market as the airline seeks to strengthen air connectivity between West, Central, and Southern Africa.

Beyond aviation handling, the company disclosed that it has begun facilitating the export of solar cells from Nigeria to the United States, opening a new chapter in its cargo and logistics operations.

NAHCO said BGE (Nigeria) Solar FZE commenced the export programme in January 2026 using its facilities in Lagos.

The statement noted that shipments initially moved through major international carriers, including Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and DHL, with consignments ranging from 20 to 50 tonnes through freight forwarding partners Access Freight and Ideal Royal.

The company explained that it provides end-to-end cargo handling services for the project, covering cargo acceptance, warehousing, build-up, and export processing, while also ensuring seamless aircraft handling and timely departures.

The latest contracts add to the list of partnerships secured by NAHCO in recent months. Earlier in the year, the company announced agreements with Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and RwandAir, as well as other operators, including Sky 7, Pioneer, Avia Green, Benani, and the Aviation Clearing House.

Speaking on the development, the Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, Saheed Lasisi, described the new agreements as a strong endorsement of the company’s reputation and service quality.

“We are fully prepared to exceed the expectations of these new partners, drawing on more than 47 years of unblemished service to maintain our reputation for excellence,” Lasisi said.

He added that the confidence shown by both long-standing and new airline partners demonstrates that “NAHCO remains heads and shoulders above any other service provider in the industry.”

Also commenting, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCO, Olumuyiwa Olumekun, said the company would continue to invest in technology and innovation to improve service delivery and create value for customers and shareholders.

Olumekun said, “We remain committed to a strategy that prioritises operational discipline and stakeholder happiness, ensuring that NAHCO continues to set the benchmark for safety and reliability in African aviation.”

He stressed that the continuous deployment of modern technology across the company’s operations would further enhance efficiency and support the precision requirements of international airlines.