Nigeria, Tunis Forge Alliance for South-South Growth
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria has moved to deepen its partnership with Tunisia, with President Bola Tinubu directing the upscaling of bilateral cooperation with countries that share Nigeria’s development aspirations.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, conveyed this directive to his Tunisian counterpart, Mr. Samir Abdelhafidh, during a high-level meeting in Abuja on Friday, assuring that Nigeria is fully committed to enhancing South-South economic cooperation.
Nigeria’s position is that South-South collaboration, particularly among countries with shared ambitions, “would facilitate their development and reduce their dependence on the North.” This was stated by Senator Bagudu while receiving senior Tunisian officials, including Mrs. Achwek Snoussi and Mr. Gara Nader, at his office.
The visit signals a renewed drive by both nations to strengthen collaboration in areas of common interest, notably national planning, trade expansion, investment mobilization, and development strategy.
Senator Bagudu described the meeting as a convergence of similar mandates and shared ambitions. He said, “This meeting is a convergence of two ministries united by similar mandates and shared development ambitions. This is more than a diplomatic courtesy; it is an opportunity to shape a new phase of collaboration between our nations.”
He detailed the centrality of national planning and international economic engagements in President Tinubu’s administration’s agenda, and explained his ministry’s role as the facilitator of cooperation among Nigeria’s federating units.
Bagudu noted a strong alignment between Nigeria’s planning system and Tunisia’s bottom-up, regionally coordinated approach. He revealed that Nigerian officials are currently studying Tunisia’s planning frameworks to identify opportunities for knowledge exchange, particularly in digital transformation, pharmaceutical development, industrial innovation, and investment facilitation.
“Your emphasis on digital growth in Tunisia’s 2026–2030 plan resonates strongly with Nigeria’s goal of building a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030. There is much we can learn from your progress, and much we can achieve together,” Bagudu stated.
The Minister assured his counterpart of Nigeria’s readiness to advance cooperation immediately, confirming that he would brief President Tinubu and expedite preparations for a reciprocal visit to Tunisia.
In his remarks, Tunisia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Mr. Samir Abdelhafidh, expressed deep gratitude for the reception and conveyed Tunisia’s strong interest in building a “durable and mutually beneficial partnership” with Nigeria.
He articulated Tunisia’s view of Nigeria as a regional powerhouse and a strategic ally in shaping the future of the African and Arab economic space.
“We are here because we believe Nigeria and Tunisia can accomplish far more together than separately. Our ministries share similar responsibilities—planning, investment, and international cooperation—and this creates a natural basis for collaboration,” Abdelhafidh observed.
The Tunisian Minister elaborated on his country’s bottom-up development planning approach for 2026–2030, explaining that the plan aggregates priorities from elected local councils, regional assemblies, district authorities, and sectoral ministries. He noted that this inclusive method ensures national planning truly reflects needs on the ground.
“Our approach is anchored on inclusiveness. Local and regional bodies are articulating their priorities, and we are integrating them with national and sectoral strategies. It is a model we believe aligns closely with Nigeria’s federated planning system,” he explained.
Abdelhafidh identified key areas where Tunisian expertise could benefit collaboration, including: digital economy and e-governance systems, industrial modernization and manufacturing, pharmaceutical and health technology development, investment facilitation, and technical cooperation. He also expressed Tunisia’s readiness to learn from Nigeria’s experience in federal coordination, macroeconomic reforms, and large-scale development management.
He insisted that the partnership must produce tangible benefits. “This partnership should not be theoretical; it should produce concrete programs that benefit the citizens of both countries,” he stated.
The Minister further stressed the significance of both countries’ participation in the Arab–African Trade Program, describing it as a timely platform for deepening trade, enhancing logistics linkages, and building cross-regional economic value chains.
“The Arab–African Trade Program has brought us closer to our African partners. Nigeria is central to Africa’s economic future, and strengthening our relationship is both strategic and necessary,” Abdelhafidh concluded.
