Nigeria Urges Europe, Africa to Build Bridges, Reject Isolationism

Nigeria Urges Europe, Africa to Build Bridges, Reject Isolationism

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called on Europe and Africa to resist isolationist impulses and instead deepen cooperation anchored on history, geography and shared responsibility.

Tuggar made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Annual Conference of Spanish Ambassadors in Madrid, attended by 182 Spanish ambassadors, according to a statement signed on Thursday by his Special Assistant on Media, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

Speaking on the theme, “Good Neighbourliness: Building Bridges or Building Walls,” the minister urged diplomats to focus on tangible realities rather than abstract divisions, stressing that Europe and Africa are not distant entities but closely linked geopolitical neighbours.

“Europe and Africa are not separated by vast distances, but by perception,” Tuggar said, noting that the Mediterranean has historically served as a connector rather than a divider of peoples, cultures and economies.

He recalled Africa’s central role in the making of the modern world, from the trans-Saharan gold trade to early Atlantic commerce, arguing that contemporary relations cannot be detached from this shared past.

Against this backdrop, he proposed that Africa be recognised alongside Europe and Ibero-America as a constitutive part of Spain’s wider historical identity.

Addressing migration, the foreign minister acknowledged its sensitivity but cautioned against policies driven by fear rather than realism. While reaffirming Nigeria’s opposition to irregular migration, he warned that the securitisation of labour mobility has produced destabilising consequences, particularly in the Sahel.

“The criminalisation of migration in transit countries dismantled local economies, empowered traffickers and ultimately contributed to political breakdowns and insecurity,” he said.

Tuggar commended Spain’s circular migration arrangements with African countries, describing them as a pragmatic and humane model rooted in long-standing seasonal labour practices familiar across West Africa.

On Nigeria-Spain relations, he highlighted ongoing cooperation in migration management, police training, and the fight against human trafficking and smuggling, describing Spain as a constructive example of engagement rather than coercion in its dealings with Africa.

He also warned that Africa’s marginal share of global trade is incompatible with its population size, arguing that exporting raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods entrenches underdevelopment and fuels economic pressures that spill across borders.

“Development finance and value-addition are not acts of charity; they are investments in shared stability,” the minister said.

Tuggar further expressed concern over shrinking diplomatic space amid growing militarisation and polarised politics, urging diplomats to show courage in defending dialogue, compromise and long-term thinking.

He also outlined Nigeria’s leadership in launching a Regional Partnership for Democracy with the United Nations Development Programme, aimed at addressing democratic backsliding and unconstitutional changes of government in parts of West Africa.

In his closing remarks, the foreign minister appealed to Spain’s diplomatic corps to act as advocates of good neighbourliness globally, insisting that in a world tempted by walls and withdrawal, “the real test of statesmanship lies in building bridges that history, geography and common interest already demand.”