The Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Michał Cygan, has expressed a strong commitment to significantly elevating the partnership between the two nations, identifying cybersecurity, agriculture, and education as prime areas for collaboration. In an exclusive interview, the envoy highlighted Poland's readiness to share its well-tested cyber defence capabilities, forged in response to persistent hostile cyber activities, with Nigeria as a trusted partner.
Unlocking Unexplored Economic Potential
Ambassador Cygan described the current trade volume between Nigeria and Poland as "average" compared to Nigeria's trade with other EU nations, but insisted the potential is far greater. He pointed to Poland's economic ascent, noting it became the world's 20th largest economy and a one trillion-dollar economy in 2025—a milestone that aligns with President Bola Tinubu's ambition for Nigeria.
"I don't want to be average. I think we can go much higher than that and I see a great unexplored potential," Cygan stated. He revealed that a Polish-Nigerian Economic Forum held in Lagos in September 2025 successfully generated promising business contacts, facilitated by the Polish Trade Office in the city.
Key Sectors for Partnership and Polish Expertise
The Ambassador detailed several sectors where Polish expertise can add significant value to the Nigerian economy:
Cybersecurity & IT: Having been a major target of cyber attacks, Poland has developed advanced defence skills. "We have developed great cyber defence skills and the benefit is that we have well-tested skills that can be shared with good partners," Cygan said, inviting cooperation in this critical field.
Agriculture: Beyond importing Nigerian agricultural products like sesame, cocoa, and hibiscus, Poland aims to export machinery and technical know-how to help reduce post-harvest losses and boost farm efficiency in Nigeria.
Engineering & Infrastructure: Noting that Polish firms helped build part of the Lagos Port, Cygan expressed a desire for Polish engineering companies to return "at full scale" to contribute to Nigeria's infrastructure development.
Energy & Pharmaceuticals: Poland also offers expertise in renewable energy, gas conversion technology, and the pharmaceutical industry, with several companies already operating in Nigeria.
Education and Combating Information Threats
On educational ties, the Ambassador noted there are currently about 4,000 Nigerian students in Poland, calling it a "win-win" area of cooperation. He emphasized the importance of ensuring students are well-prepared to adapt to different academic cultures.
Addressing the global concern over misinformation, Cygan identified two primary dangers: state-sponsored propaganda from non-democratic nations and profit-driven disinformation from media enterprises. He stressed the need for both Nigeria and Poland, as democracies, to strengthen quality journalism, fact-checking, and public media literacy to shield their societies.
Ambassador Cygan concluded by reaffirming Poland's market-driven approach to partnership, focusing on creating linkages and reducing barriers rather than using distorting subsidies, aiming for sustainable, long-term mutual growth with Nigeria.
