Nigeria and the Republic of Austria have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, advancing multilateral diplomacy and expanding cooperation in key strategic sectors, following a high-level engagement held in Abuja on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
The meeting brought together Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumiegwu-Ojukwu, and the Secretary-General of Austria’s Federal Ministry of International and European Affairs, His Excellency Nikolaus Marschik. Discussions focused on reviewing existing relations, addressing emerging global and regional challenges, and identifying practical opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
Speaking during the engagement, Ambassador Odumiegwu-Ojukwu expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for Austria’s longstanding friendship, noting that diplomatic relations between both countries have remained cordial for over five decades. She recalled Austria’s early diplomatic presence in Nigeria and acknowledged the role of past Austrian envoys in strengthening institutional cooperation and people-to-people ties.
The Minister emphasised Nigeria’s interest in deepening economic cooperation with Austria, particularly in trade and investment. She identified renewable energy, environmental and green technologies, food security, agro-processing, infrastructure development, digital innovation, and information and communications technology as priority sectors for collaboration. She encouraged Austrian businesses to explore opportunities within Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones and take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area as a gateway to wider regional markets.
Cultural, educational and academic cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. Ambassador Odumiegwu-Ojukwu highlighted existing cultural exchange agreements and growing interest among Nigerians in studying and training in Austria. She called for expanded scholarship programmes, academic partnerships and collaboration between universities, research institutions and cultural organisations in both countries.
On security, the Minister briefed the Austrian delegation on Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime, particularly in the Sahel and West African sub-region. She underscored Nigeria’s engagement with international partners to address insurgency, rebuild post-conflict communities and strengthen intelligence-sharing frameworks, stressing that insecurity is a global challenge requiring collective action.
Migration management was discussed as a shared concern, with Nigeria advocating orderly and regular migration pathways that protect human rights while addressing the root causes of irregular migration. The Minister highlighted Nigeria’s interest in skills development, vocational training and capacity-building initiatives that empower young people and promote structured mobility and knowledge exchange.
In his remarks, Mr. Marschik expressed appreciation for the warm reception and reaffirmed Austria’s recognition of Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa. He described Nigeria as one of Austria’s most important partners on the continent and outlined Austria’s plans to develop a comprehensive Africa strategy based on equality, mutual learning and measurable impact.
He explained that the strategy would focus on peace and security, economic cooperation, migration centred on skills exchange, and collaboration in education, science, culture and environmental protection, guided by African continental priorities and global sustainable development goals.
Multilateral cooperation and support for a rules-based international order formed a central theme of the engagement. Austria appreciated Nigeria’s support for its candidature to the United Nations Security Council and pledged reciprocal backing for Nigeria’s future multilateral aspirations.
Ambassador Odumiegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy, while also sharing Nigeria’s perspectives on regional challenges in West Africa, including issues of governance, security and regional integration.
Both sides agreed that education, capacity-building and people-to-people exchanges are vital to sustaining long-term cooperation. Austria highlighted opportunities for Nigerian participation in training programmes at its Diplomatic Academy, an initiative welcomed by the Nigerian delegation.
The meeting concluded with both countries reaffirming their readiness to deepen cooperation across identified priority areas. The engagement, officials noted, represents a significant step toward a more strategic and future-oriented Nigeria–Austria partnership aimed at promoting peace, stability and sustainable development at bilateral, regional and global levels.