MONDAY March 3, 2025 |TheNewsDESK
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday received the president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, at the State House in Abuja, TheNATION reports.
President Bio arrived at the Forecourt of the Presidential Villa at 12:22 p.m., where he was welcomed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The visiting Sierra Leonean President was welcomed by the Presidential Guards Brigade, accompanied by traditional bagpipe music.
Nigeria and Sierra Leone have recorded strong diplomatic relations since their respective independences in October 1960 and April 1961.
Both nations are active members of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union and have collaborated on initiatives aimed at promoting peace, stability, and development in the region.
Between 1991 and 2002, Nigeria played a pivotal role in supporting Sierra Leone during its civil war when it led the ECOWAS Monitoring Group in peacekeeping efforts to restore stability in the region.
Trade between Nigeria and Sierra Leone has fluctuated over recent years.
A 2023 estimate valued Nigeria’s exports to Sierra Leone at approximately $5.55 million.
The primary exports included fertilizers, miscellaneous edible preparations, electrical and electronic equipment, glass and glassware, and coffee, tea, mate, and spices.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone’s main exports to Nigeria include animals and vegetable fats and oils, machinery and boilers, rubber product,s and fish and crustaceans.
Details of the meeting between both leaders were not immediately available, but the visit underscores the ongoing diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
