Nigeria and OIC Enhance Cooperation on Humanitarian Affairs

Nigeria and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are set to strengthen their cooperation in various sectors, including humanitarian affairs and youth empowerment. This development followed a meeting on Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja between the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and the OIC's Assistant Secretary-General, Ambassador Dr. Tarig Ali Bakheet.

The meeting reviewed the longstanding relations between Nigeria and the OIC, with discussions on establishing a Nigeria-OIC Working Group on Humanitarian Affairs aimed at addressing insecurity and humanitarian challenges in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin. Ahmed emphasized the importance of cultural cooperation and proposed organizing cultural festivals to promote peace and understanding among youth.

Bakheet acknowledged Nigeria's constructive role within the OIC and invited the country to host the next OIC Social Development Conference. Both parties agreed on the necessity for sustained engagement and cooperation, with Nigeria confirming its participation in the upcoming OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled for August 27, 2026.