Tuggar Urges Europe, Africa To Build Bridges, Not Walls
At a time when fear is reshaping foreign policy, Nigeria is urging a return to realism, history and shared destiny.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called on Europe and Africa to resist isolationist tendencies and instead strengthen cooperation anchored on good neighbourliness, shared history and mutual responsibility.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Conference of Spanish Ambassadors in Madrid, attended by 182 diplomats, Tuggar challenged the notion that Europe and Africa are distant worlds, arguing that geography and history place them within a single geopolitical space.
Addressing the conference under the theme “Good Neighbourliness: Building Bridges or Building Walls,” the Foreign Minister noted that the Mediterranean has historically served as a connector rather than a divider, linking peoples through trade, labour and economic exchange long before modern borders emerged.
He traced Africa’s role in shaping the global economy, from trans-Saharan gold routes to early Atlantic trade, and argued that contemporary Europe-Africa relations must be understood within this shared historical context.
Against this background, Tuggar urged Spain to recognise Africa alongside Europe and Ibero-America as a foundational pillar of its wider historical identity.
On migration, he acknowledged its political sensitivity but warned against fear-driven policies.
While reaffirming Nigeria’s opposition to irregular migration, Tuggar criticised the securitisation of labour mobility, particularly in the Sahel, noting that such approaches have dismantled local economies, empowered criminal networks and worsened insecurity.
He praised Spain’s circular migration arrangements with African countries as a pragmatic and humane model rooted in long-standing seasonal labour traditions.
The Foreign Minister highlighted Nigeria, Spain collaboration in migration management, police training and the fight against human trafficking, describing Spain as a constructive partner whose engagement-focused approach offers a viable path for Europe.
Turning to development, Tuggar warned that Africa’s marginal share of global trade remains unsustainable given its population size.
He stressed that exporting raw materials without value addition perpetuates inequality and instability, insisting that development finance should be seen not as charity but as an investment in shared global stability.
He also cautioned against the shrinking space for diplomacy in an era of militarisation and polarised politics, urging diplomats to defend dialogue and long-term thinking.
Addressing democratic challenges in West Africa, Tuggar outlined Nigeria’s Regional Partnership for Democracy with the UNDP, aimed at promoting governance models rooted in local realities.
In closing, he challenged Spain’s diplomatic corps to champion bridge-building over walls, arguing that history, geography and common interest all point in the same direction.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n