Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye
Nigeria is heading to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a broad agenda focused on humanitarian response, youth empowerment, investment and regional security.
The Nigerian delegation, led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, will participate in the ministerial meeting scheduled for Thursday, 27 August 2026. The Federal Government said it will leverage Nigeria’s membership of the 57-nation organisation to advance national interests and secure practical partnerships.
Speaking to journalists before departure from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s engagement would be anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s 4-D foreign policy doctrine of Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy.
“This is a journey of strategic partnership and purpose devoid of ideological or religious fixation. Nigeria goes to Jeddah to advance cooperation that delivers real benefits to our people,” he said.
A central plank of Nigeria’s agenda is the proposed operationalisation of a Nigeria-OIC Working Group on Humanitarian Affairs. The government said the group could strengthen cooperation in responding to insecurity and humanitarian emergencies in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel.
The proposed cooperation is expected to cover the rehabilitation of displaced communities, interfaith dialogue, and efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The initiative comes amid persistent security and humanitarian pressures in parts of the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, where conflict and displacement continue to strain communities and governments.
On the economic front, Nigeria will intensify its economic diplomacy at the meeting. The delegation will present investment opportunities arising from ongoing reforms, with priority sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, Business Process Outsourcing, automotive, oil and gas, and commerce.
According to the minister, the government will pursue both Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government partnerships to attract foreign direct investment, expand productive capacity and accelerate economic diversification.
Youth development will also feature prominently. Nigeria will seek expanded OIC-backed programmes in vocational training, women’s empowerment, healthcare and cultural exchanges.
“Greater investment in skills development will help equip young Nigerians for economic opportunities while promoting peace, unity and cooperation across member states,” Enikanolaiye said.
The Jeddah meeting will also address institutional matters, including the election of a new Secretary-General of the OIC. Nigeria said it would engage constructively in the process and support leadership committed to reform, unity and people-centred programmes.
The minister underscored Nigeria’s longstanding role in the organisation, noting that the country has been an active member since 1986. He stressed that Nigeria’s engagement with the OIC should not be viewed narrowly through a religious lens, adding that OIC-supported programmes in Nigeria have provided development assistance without discrimination.
“We will work with all member states to ensure our collective decisions reflect the aspirations of over 1.8 billion people and contribute to global peace and development,” he said.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the Nigerian delegation is expected to hold bilateral talks with foreign ministers and OIC officials. Discussions will focus on advancing Nigeria’s interests in security, development, investment and humanitarian cooperation.
The Jeddah engagement, the government said, offers Nigeria an opportunity to move beyond diplomatic representation and use its OIC membership to mobilise concrete partnerships around some of the country’s most pressing priorities — from security and humanitarian relief to jobs, investment and economic diversification.
