President Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame have held talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and deepening regional cooperation between Nigeria and Rwanda.
Tinubu met Kagame at the Urugwiro presidential villa in Kigali during his visit to Rwanda for the Africa CEO Forum, which begins on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Nigeria would seriously consider reciprocating Rwanda’s 30-day visa-free policy for African citizens in the spirit of pan-Africanism.
Rwanda is among the few African countries offering citizens of African Union member states a 30-day visa-free stay.
The leaders also exchanged ideas on operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) between both countries to improve trade and mobility across the continent.
Tinubu and Kagame further stressed the need to revive the Joint Permanent Ministerial Commission, signed by both nations in 2021, as a platform for advancing shared goals. Both countries agreed that Nigeria would host the next meeting of the commission.
The talks also covered the activation of pending memoranda of understanding in tourism, anti-corruption and the fight against illicit drugs.
The statement added that discussions with RwandAir are ongoing to expand export opportunities for Nigerian businesses across Africa.
Nigeria had last year established an air cargo corridor with Uganda Airlines to boost regional trade links.
