The Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, received in audience the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Nigeria, His Excellency Félix Costales Artieda , on Wednesday 18th February 2026 in a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening Nigeria–Spain bilateral relations across key strategic sectors.

Welcoming the Spanish Ambassador and his delegation, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu underscored the historic ties between Nigeria and Spain and acknowledged the Ambassador’s proactive engagement since his assumption of duty in Abuja. She noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to consolidate the gains of recent high-level exchanges, including the official visit of Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs to Madrid and subsequent engagements that reinforced diplomatic momentum between both countries.

In his remarks, Ambassador  Félix Costales Artieda emphasized Spain’s strong interest in advancing structured political consultations and operationalizing existing bilateral instruments, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on political dialogue.

He noted that while the MoU was broadly framed, it provides a useful platform for regular consultations at ministerial and senior official levels. The Ambassador proposed exploring structured political consultations at the level of Ministers of State to ensure sustained review of bilateral progress.

Ambassador  Costales  further highlighted recent legal cooperation milestones between both countries, including agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of sentenced prisoners, and extradition.

He informed the Nigerian side that Spain has completed its internal ratification process for the extradition agreement signed during the 2022 State Visit of former President Muhammadu Buhari to Spain, and expressed hope for the finalization of Nigeria’s ratification procedures to bring the agreement into full force.

Security cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Ambassador Costales  referenced Spain’s collaboration with Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), including a recent technical workshop on victims of terrorism organized in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He emphasized Spain’s readiness to deepen collaboration on counter-terrorism, sharing best practices, victim support frameworks, and broader security sector engagement.

Responding, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu welcomed Spain’s focus on victims of terrorism, noting that while much attention is often placed on kinetic and defence responses, the humanitarian impact on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and affected communities requires equal emphasis. She stressed the importance of social cohesion, post-conflict rehabilitation, and deradicalization efforts as integral components of national and regional security architecture.

On migration management, both sides discussed the shared challenges posed by irregular migration routes, particularly across the Mediterranean corridor. The Honourable Minister of State expressed concern over the tragic loss of lives along migration routes, including crossings toward Ceuta and Melilla, and underscored the need for expanded economic opportunities at home to reduce migration pressures. She noted that youth unemployment and demographic realities require targeted bilateral collaboration in job creation, skills development, and investment promotion.

The Ambassador reaffirmed Spain’s interest in working closely with Nigeria on migration governance frameworks and acknowledged the complexity of immigration regulations within Spain’s national legal system. Both sides agreed to explore practical solutions to procedural concerns affecting Nigerian nationals resident in Spain, particularly documentation processes tied to police clearance certifications.

Economic cooperation constituted a major pillar of the engagement. Ambassador  Costales  noted that Spain remains one of Nigeria’s key energy trading partners, particularly in gas imports, and expressed interest in expanding Spanish private sector investment in Nigeria.

He referenced the involvement of Spanish engineering firm Técnicas Reunidas  in a major private sector tender within Nigeria’s energy sector and highlighted the growing footprint of Spanish multinational companies such as Indra, particularly in digital systems and security solutions.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu observed that while Spain is one of Nigeria’s important trading partners, Spanish private sector presence in Nigeria remains below potential. Drawing from her experience as Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, she reflected on past initiatives aimed at expanding Spanish commercial engagement, including proposals to establish a cultural and business facilitation centre to promote Spanish investment and cultural exchange in Nigeria.

She emphasized that Nigeria’s current economic reform agenda, including currency stabilization, renewable energy prioritization, infrastructure expansion, and youth-driven digital innovation, presents new opportunities for Spanish investors.

With approximately 86% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 45, she stressed the urgency of leveraging human capital development, ICT innovation, renewable energy partnerships, and agricultural modernization to unlock economic growth.

Both parties also discussed tourism collaboration, cultural diplomacy, and educational exchanges. Ambassador Costales acknowledged Spain’s interest in expanding language and cultural outreach through Spanish language promotion initiatives and cultural partnerships.

The Honourable Minister of State welcomed greater Spanish institutional presence, similar to other European cultural institutes operating in Nigeria, to enhance people-to-people engagement.

On multilateral cooperation, Ambassador  Costales reaffirmed Spain’s continued engagement with ECOWAS and expressed interest in Nigeria’s perspectives on regional integration dynamics within West Africa.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu reiterated Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to ECOWAS stability, democratic consolidation, and regional economic integration, noting Nigeria’s leadership role in upholding constitutional governance and free movement frameworks within the subregion.

The two diplomats also exchanged views on respective international candidatures and reaffirmed mutual support within multilateral institutions.

Concluding the engagement, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Spain under Spain’s Africa Strategy and Nigeria’s current foreign policy priorities. She emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains committed to facilitating institutional clarity, expediting bilateral processes, and strengthening economic diplomacy between both countries.

The meeting reaffirmed Nigeria and Spain’s shared commitment to strategic partnership, structured political dialogue, security cooperation, and expanded economic collaboration anchored on mutual respect and shared prosperity.