The Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, PhD, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, received Ambassador Emi Furuya, Director General of the West Africa and Maghreb Bureau at Global Affairs Canada, at the Ministry in Abuja.
Visa facilitation emerged as a central priority in the high-level engagement, which focused on strengthening the longstanding Nigeria-Canada partnership across political, economic, and social spheres. Both sides reaffirmed the value of sustained dialogue in advancing shared priorities and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, with particular attention to streamlining visa processing procedures to ease people-to-people contact and support growing educational, business, and cultural exchanges.
Discussions also highlighted significant opportunities for enhanced collaboration in strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy.
These include solid minerals, renewable energy, agriculture, manufacturing, information and communications technology (ICT), and the blue economy.
Officials agreed on the importance of aligning development cooperation more closely with Nigeria’s national priorities, with particular attention to ongoing partnerships in technical and vocational education and youth empowerment.
They further examined emerging areas of potential cooperation, including artificial intelligence, agricultural technology, and the creative economy.
Regional security featured prominently in the talks. The two sides reviewed the security situation in the Sahel, the role of ECOWAS peace and security mechanisms, and Nigeria’s contributions to regional counter-terrorism efforts.
A strong emphasis was placed on the mining sector. Both parties agreed to intensify cooperation on mining sector development, with specific focus on improving governance frameworks, building institutional capacity, and attracting sustainable investment.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment of Nigeria and Canada to deepen their relationship and pursue practical partnerships that deliver tangible benefits for both nations, beginning with more efficient visa processes to underpin broader cooperation.