Nigeria Advocates for Transformative Korea-Africa Partnership
Nigeria has called for a stronger and more transformative partnership between Africa and South Korea, proposing new collaborations in green energy, health security, and peacebuilding to deepen economic and diplomatic ties between the two regions.
Speaking at the inaugural Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul, Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, emphasized that Africa and South Korea must move beyond traditional trade relations to partnerships that deliver sustainable development and shared prosperity.
The meeting, attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from about 50 African countries, was convened as a follow-up to the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit hosted by the South Korean government in 2024.
In a statement posted on X, Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that South Korea had committed $10 billion in development finance and $14 billion in export financing for Africa by 2030. She highlighted Nigeria’s strategic importance in the relationship, noting that the country remained South Korea’s largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching $2.1 billion in 2025. More than 30 South Korean companies, including Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, and KEPCO, currently operate in Nigeria.
Addressing shared global challenges, the minister stressed that climate change, pandemics, and conflicts require collective international action. Odumegwu-Ojukwu also underscored the importance of strengthening health security partnerships, noting that Africa still imports 99 percent of its vaccines and 95 percent of its medicines.
During a separate engagement with selected African foreign ministers, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung highlighted his country’s development journey and its relevance to African countries.
The minister concluded by describing Africa’s youth population as the continent’s greatest asset and a key driver of future cooperation between Africa and South Korea.
