NEWS AND PRESENT DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NIGERIA

The European Union’s Election Observation with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

The European Union Election Observation Follow-up Mission held a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on the 2nd of October 2025.

At the meeting:

Barry Andrews, the leader of the EU Follow-up Mission and a Member of the European Parliament, commended INEC because of its involving prominent stakeholders to consolidate democracy in Nigeria. Andrews also noted that reforms, particularly constitutional, judicial, and administrative, should be sustained so by 2027, Nigeria will have credible elections. INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu said he urged the National Assembly to expedite the electoral reform bills because failure to do so would lead to destabilisation of the 2027 election preparations. He mentioned that out of 23 recommendations of the 2023 EU mission, INEC is directly tasked with 8 recommendations, which the organisation has already started to work with. In addition, Yakubu also said that Nigeria will invite the EU, the Commonwealth, the AU, and ECOWAS to monitor the 2027 elections and reiterate collaboration within the framework of the programme EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN). Concisely, the meeting highlighted the fact that the EU must be not a mere spectator but an active diplomatic player that helps in pushing Nigeria towards electoral reforms – and that Nigeria also must fulfil its part of the bargain, should it act upon the legislative front.

Inaugural EU-Nigeria Trade & Investment Dialogue (30th September 2025)

The Federal Government officials and European Union (EU) senior officials met on 30th September 2025 in Abuja to evaluate the dynamic economic relationship between the two parties and set a course. The first Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Trade and Investment Dialogue (TID) was convened by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) and the Director of the European Commission, Directorate-General Trade and Economic Security (DG TRADE), namely Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi and Ms Dora Correia, respectively.

The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr Jumoke Oduwole MFR, and His Excellency Gautier Mignot, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, welcomed the launch of the Dialogue, which they indicated has highlighted the increasing emphasis given to trade and investment in the EU-Nigeria relationship.

It was an important step in enhancing trade and investment relations between the EU and Nigeria, and the senior officials meeting gave the officials the chance to share their opinions on the subjects of common interest, to discuss the possible obstacles and to discuss the possibilities of further cooperation.

Negotiations were conducted on a variety of issues, among them being trade and investment policy, consultation on barriers and requirements in the market access, preferential trade and investment treaties, investment, co-operation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), regulatory measures that may affect trade and investment, and locating areas of development cooperation in trade and investment.

Both parties demonstrated their desire to resume the Dialogue, and the second TID was planned to be held in Brussels, Belgium, in 2026, the date of which will be agreed upon by both parties.