The Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez, has arrived Nigeria for a three-day official visit aimed at deepening diplomatic and strategic relations between the two countries.
Márquez, accompanied by her spouse, Rafael Yerney Pinillo Ocoró, were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by Nigerian government officials, including Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and Minister of State, FCT, Mariya Bunkure.
Also on the ground to receive her were the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, and other senior government officials.
The visit is expected to deepen diplomatic and strategic relations between Nigeria and Colombia as well as enhance collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including governance, trade, agriculture, energy, education, and security, among others.
The Colombian vice president was accompanied on the visit by cabinet ministers, top government officials and business sector leaders who are set to engage their Nigerian counterparts in discussions around key areas aimed at strengthening ties between both countries.
A key highlight of the visit is the signing of memoranda of understanding in strategic areas of the economy, including women’s empowerment, trade, aviation, manufacturing, agriculture, and culture, among others.
The visit will feature a plenary session with both vice presidents, a Nigeria-Colombia Business Forum, and government-to-government bilateral meetings.
The visit will also include side events, such as high-level business sector meetings hosted by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and a summit on artificial intelligence.
