Nigeria will overhaul the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) with Kenya to strengthen collaboration for shared development.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said this during the visit of the High Commissioner of Kenya to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina, to her office in Abuja.
She described the visit as a “renewed demonstration” of both countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing structured cooperation under existing diplomatic frameworks.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Kenya’s commitment to revitalising the JCC, which has not convened in over a decade. The mechanism for consolidating bilateral collaboration, reviewing memoranda of understanding, and ensuring measurable implementation outcomes.
She emphasised that, while numerous MoUs were signed across Africa, the absence of structured review mechanisms often limits their practical impact. ” She emphasised that, while many African nations sign MoUs, the lack of structured review mechanisms often limits their practical impact.”
The minister highlighted mutual interests in trade, fintech, agriculture, tourism, migration, and anti-human trafficking.
She also underscored Nigeria’s population of over 230 million and Kenya’s approaching 60 million as a shared responsibility to drive intra-African trade and economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern over irregular migration, human trafficking networks, cybercrime syndicates, and the exploitation of vulnerable youths, stressing the need for preventive and collaborative mechanisms.
This, she said, included potential cooperation between Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Kenyan counterparts.
For his part, Parashina conveyed warm greetings from the Government of Kenya and reaffirmed Nairobi’s strong commitment to deepening relations with Nigeria.
He said Kenya is keen to operationalise visa reciprocity arrangements and use the Joint Commission to resolve outstanding issues, with the goal of facilitating concrete improvements in travel and business environments for citizens of both nations.
Parashina also highlighted Kenya’s role in hosting the upcoming Africa-France Summit, describing it as a continental platform aimed at strengthening Africa-France partnerships and enabling African countries to negotiate from positions of greater ownership and coordination.