On Feb. 25, Alibek Kuantyrov, Kazakhstan’s deputy foreign minister, met with Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani to discuss the prospects of cooperation in space technologies, electronic government development and cutting-edge financial services. Kazakh officials also proposed that their Nigerian counterpart examine Kazakhstan’s digitalization practices and consider launching joint projects.
Deputy Chair of Kazakh Invest Madiyar Sultanbek held talks with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission on attracting foreign funds and also met with local financial officials. The Nigerian side expressed interest in Kazakhstan’s approach to managing state-owned corporations and financing large projects through special funds.
The Kazakhstani delegation also engaged with local entrepreneurs to discuss trade, energy, transport, agriculture and the potential launch of joint production facilities. The negotiations resulted in the signing of a memorandum between the Astana International Financial Centre and the Nigerian bank Taj regarding the establishment of a subsidiary in Astana and the development of Islamic finance, as well as an agreement between Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary and Suburban Broadband — a Nigerian internet provider — on joint space-related projects.
At the same time, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Algeria Anuarbek Akhmetov, discussed options for enhancing bilateral business cooperation, expanding market access and establishing joint ventures with representatives of the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce.
In January, Nigeria joined BRICS as a partner country, becoming the ninth nation to engage with the group, which Kazakhstan also collaborates with.
