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Bilateral Relations between Pakistan and Nigeria: Analysis and Way Forward
(Nasir Zaman)
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In the world we live today, the bilateral relations between countries around the world transcend

not only the immediate neighboring countries and regional allies around them, but also go

beyond the confines of their continents as well.

Pakistan and Nigeria are two such countries

that have maintained cordial bilateral relations

with each other over the course of the past

several decades. Both these countries have

much to offer for enhancing bilateral relations

with each other as Nigeria is the biggest

economy in Africa due to its precious natural

resources while Pakistan has played a crucial role in enhancing peace and stability in Nigeria

with its valuable military assistance.

In the following lines, the aforementioned assertions about the areas of mutual assistance and

collaboration will be analyzed in detail. Moreover, the factors which have led to a positive surge

in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Nigeria will be elaborated in considerable length as

well. Finally, the prospects for expanding these relations will be mentioned briefly in the end.

Scope of Bilateral Relations between Pakistan and Nigeria:

It is a reality that the continent of Africa has been largely exploited and overlooked by the main

world powers and colonizers for centuries. Many important empires and states which colonized

vast swathes of lands in Africa during these times showed an attitude of benign neglect and

contempt towards the native people here. Nigeria was no exception in this regard and has to

endure the hardships of British colonization until its independence in 1960.

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However, Nigeria people have witnessed significant socio-economic growth and political

evolution since their country’s independence. The GDP of this country has increased

exponentially during the past decades and progress in fields of oil production, agricultural

growth, the boom in the manufacturing sector has been remarkable. Investment in crucial sectors

like human development has ensured a continuous decline in inflation which has alleviated

Nigeria’s position as Africa’s strongest economy.1

On the other hand, Pakistan has also helped Nigeria in countering radical extremist organizations

like Boko Haram by exporting modern military hardware. Many agreements have been signed

between both countries for socio-economic cooperation as well. Due to such extensive

cooperation, the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Nigeria has grown from strength to

strength in recent times which is expected to be strengthened further during the coming years.

Overview of Pakistan-Nigeria Relations so far?

Both Pakistan and Nigeria have signed many agreements and have vowed to strengthen their

relationships since gaining independence. The following points briefly describe the multifaceted

aspects of these relations:

Increase in Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and Nigeria:

The Government of Pakistan has exponentially increased its trade with African countries and the

volume of trade with countries from this continent surpassed $4.18 billion in 2020.2 Much of this

1
Naidoo, Prinesha. Nigeria Tops South Africa as the Continent’s Biggest Economy Bloomberg.com.
Bloomberg, March 3, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-03/nigeria-now-tops-south-
africa-as-the-continent-s-biggest-economy
2
INP. “Pakistan's Trade with Africa Reaches $4.18bn in 2020: Razak Dawood.” nation.com.pk. The Nation,
December 27, 2020. https://nation.com.pk/27-Dec-2020/pakistan-s-trade-with-africa-reaches-dollar-4-18bn-
in-2020-razak-dawood
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economic surge has been due to the increase in the volume of trade between both countries as

shown below:

Despite the setback in international trade and commerce activities due to the contagious COVID-

19 pandemic, Pakistan-Nigeria bilateral trade has remained steady during this time and many

new agreements for enhancing socio-economic cooperation have been signed-in the meanwhile

which will be discussed below.

Combined Fight against Terrorism:

Both Pakistan and Nigeria have been targeted through subversive terrorist activities conducted

by fundamentalist terrorist organizations during the past couple of centuries. Both these countries

have similar internal and external threats with recurring challenges about governance and

political stability. To counter these threats, both Pakistan and Nigeria have mutually embarked

on a conscious counter-terrorism journey ranging from socio-economic development programs to

de-radicalization strategies.4

3
“General Profile of Nigeria.” Page 19. commerce.gov.pk, n.d. Accessed April 8, 2021.
https://www.commerce.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Import-Profile-Nigeria.pdf
4
Nte, Ngboawaji Daniel, Isaac Ngutor Akaageregr, Irfan Ullah Khan, and Onyeka Bienose. "A Tale of Two
Nations: Evaluating Terrorism and the Challenges of Counter-Terrorism Strategies in Pakistan and Nigeria."
Law Research Review Quarterly 6, no. 4 (November 1, 2020).
https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/snh/article/view/38315/18139
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Military Cooperation between Pakistan and Nigeria:

The military to military cooperation between

Pakistan and Nigeria has rampantly increased

during the past decade. Nigeria has purchased

cutting-edge military technology for

exterminating terrorist organizations in their land.

The most important purchase from the Nigerian

government in this regard has been of the

esteemed Pakistani JF-17 Thunder aircraft which have boosted the capabilities of the Nigerian

Air Force since their recent arrival.5

Cooperation vis-à-vis other common challenges between both Countries:

Many common challenges have been faced by both Pakistan and Nigeria since their

independence. Despite the immense potential both of these countries possess, issues like

corruption, political infighting, and economic difficulties have kept their progress at bay due to

which common people have suffered in both countries. 6 However, due to the enhanced

cooperation between both these countries regarding their respective weaknesses, the state of

affairs has started to become better gradually which is a good sign for both countries.

Prospects for Enhanced Bilateral Relations between Pakistan and Nigeria:

5
“First of 3 Pakistani JF-17 Jets Arrive in Nigeria.” defenseworld.net, March 24, 2021.
https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29198/First_of_3_Pakistani_JF_17_Jets_Arrive_in_Nigeria#.YG5hW-
gzbIU
6
Coll, Steve. “Pakistan and Nigeria.” newyorker.com. The New Yorker, June 20, 2017.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/steve-coll/pakistan-and-nigeria
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Implementation of Agreements for Trade Activities:

Although both Pakistan and Nigeria have been involved in trade activities with each other for

decades, yet the true potential of trade between both these countries has not been met and has

been overlooked so far. Government officials and trade representatives for both countries have

raised this issue continuously and have proposed new agreements and strategies to enhance trade

between both countries.

In pursuance of this goal, The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) signed a

memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(LCCI) in December last year. This agreement aims to boost trade, increase exports, and

networking prospects between the business communities of Pakistan and Nigeria and is a

significant step for the socio-economic betterment of both countries.7

Prospects for Improving Security Relations:

As mentioned before, Pakistan and Nigeria have a long history of successfully collaborating and

assisting each other in improving their international security. Consequently, it is not a surprise

that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has praised the level of defense and military

cooperation between Pakistan and Nigeria. He has also agreed that there is room for an increase

in defense cooperation between both countries.8

Increase in Tourism:

7
“MoU Signed to Boost Trade between Pakistan, Nigeria.” DAWN.COM, December 21, 2020.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1596915
8
“Leadership: Assessing Nigeria-Pakistan Military Cooperation.” arabnews.com, January 24, 2019.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1441216/press-review
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Tourism in both Nigeria and Pakistan has

been minimized over the past decade

because of the instability and insurgency

created by radical organizations in these

countries. However, with the improved law

and order situation in both these countries,

prospects of an increase in bilateral tourism between these countries have started to gradually

increase.

Conclusion:

Pakistan and Nigeria are two countries which have been portrayed with negative connotation by

international media and organizations for years. Under such circumstances, both these countries

must increase cooperation with each other in various facets of their bilateral relations. By doing

so, the governments and people of both countries can gain many socio-economic and security-

related benefits which can prove to be efficacious for them in the long run.