The President of the Republic of Benin, Romuald Wadagni, on Monday, made his first official visit to Nigeria.
Wadagni’s visit was on the invitation of President Bola Tinubu, who received him at the State House in Abuja.
Both presidents held discussions covering all dimensions of their strategic partnership: economic and industrial integration; energy cooperation; maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea; as well as the regional situation and preserving the cohesion of the Economic Community of West African States.
As the first bilateral visit by the President of the Republic since his inauguration on May 24, 2026, the Benin Government said the trip demonstrates the priority status that Benin intends to give to its strategic partnership with Nigeria in the conduct of foreign policy during this new presidential term.
Benin and Nigeria maintain one of the closest and most structurally impactful bilateral relationships in West Africa. Bound by an 809-kilometre shared border and a centuries-old history predating colonial borders, both countries share populations whose commercial, familial, and cultural exchanges have never ceased.
Official diplomatic relations between the two nations, established on September 12, 1961, enshrine this long-standing brotherhood.
On the economic front, Nigeria is Benin’s primary trading partner. The Autonomous Port of Cotonou serves as an essential gateway for Nigerian trade bound for landlocked countries in the sub-region. The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ), which created over 14,000 jobs in 2025, is attracting growing interest from Nigerian investors.
Benin’s formal exports to Nigeria increased by over 90% in 2024. The Sèmè-Kraké Joint Border Control Post, the West African Gas Pipeline, and the Benin-Nigeria Business Forum held in January 2026 all illustrate the depth of this bilateral integration.
