SUN SEPT 27 2026-theGBJournal| Nigeria and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties, with a focus on expanding trade, advancing a bilateral joint commission and improving safeguards for migrant workers, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu met her Philippine counterpart, Foreign Minister Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the two officials reviewed longstanding bilateral relations and discussed areas for closer cooperation.
The ministers agreed on the need to scale up trade between the two countries and push forward preparations for the Nigeria-Philippines Joint Commission, a framework for advancing bilateral cooperation across economic and other areas.
Education was also a key part of the discussions. Nigeria and the Philippines have maintained strong people-to-people links through education, with the Southeast Asian country remaining a destination for Nigerian students pursuing higher education.
About 9,000 Nigerian students are currently enrolled in higher-learning institutions across the Philippines, according to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, underscoring the importance of education to bilateral relations.
The ministers also discussed the regulatory frameworks governing migrant workers, including measures to protect the welfare of Nigerian workers, manage labour mobility and combat human trafficking.
The Philippines, meanwhile, is working to establish a dedicated Migrant Workers Office in Abuja to provide support to the thousands of Filipinos working and residing in Nigeria.
The discussions come as both countries seek to broaden bilateral cooperation beyond existing people-to-people links, with trade, education and labour mobility forming key areas of engagement.
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