Nigeria, Russia hold talks in Moscow

By Mo Isa

The foreign ministers of Nigeria and Russia met in Moscow on Wednesday and talked about their future partnership.

Nigeria is considered by Moscow as a top partner on the African continent, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed his Nigerian colleague, Yusuf Tuggar.

Tuggar agreed with him.

“The relationship will continue to grow. We feel that we are in the right position to have a very strong strategic relationship with Russia,” he said.

Lavrov also said Moscow would continue to assist the countries in the Sahara-Sahel region to increase their combat capability.

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According to Africanews, the cross-border region which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Guinea, has been plagued by political instability for years.

In the last decade, jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have been growing in power and influence in the region.

“Russia will assist countries of the region in increasing the combat capability of their national armed forces, security forces, and law enforcement authorities, to counter the threats that persist,” said Lavrov.

As Russia faces criticism over its war in Ukraine, it’s attempting to increase its influence in the global south. A meeting with African foreign ministers is due to take place in Sochi later this year.