Nigeria and Switzerland have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations across trade, economic cooperation, skills acquisition, migration, security and cultural exchange, with Bern also pledging to return Benin bronzes and artefacts to Nigeria.
The development followed a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis, at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
In a post-meeting media briefing, Cassis highlighted a wide-ranging dialogue that included a push for a free trade agreement between Nigeria and the broader African Continental Free Trade Area.
“We are considering improving our bilateral relations. We are analyzing the opportunity of making a free trade agreement with the AfCFTA family and Nigeria. Secondly, we are working together in diplomatic efforts to address conflicts in the North-East,” he said.
Cassis added that Switzerland would continue to support vocational training initiatives in Nigeria, noting that Swiss companies operating in the country are helping to equip young people with employable skills.
He also highlighted ongoing collaboration in migration management and cultural exchange.
“We also have cooperation in migration issues, and every year, we meet to explore every facet of this cooperation,” he added.
On cultural ties, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed that Switzerland had agreed to return Benin bronzes and artefacts to Nigeria.
“There was a general assurance that we need to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, not just in business but also culturally. There are Benin bronzes that will be returned from Switzerland,” Tuggar said.
He added that the Swiss Minister of Culture is expected to visit Nigeria soon, describing the move as a significant step in deepening cultural relations.
Tuggar noted that discussions also covered Swiss investments and business opportunities in Nigeria, with Cassis expected to engage private sector stakeholders in Lagos.
He described the engagement as a continuation of longstanding diplomatic relations between both countries, which date back to 1961.
Shettima, according to the minister, welcomed the outcomes of the meeting and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustaining engagement with Switzerland, including participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Cassis, who was accompanied by his spouse, Paola Rodoni Cassis, also commended Nigeria’s consistent presence at the forum and congratulated the country on the commissioning of Nigeria House in Davos.
Other members of the Swiss delegation included officials from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Persecondnews reports that the planned return of Benin bronzes is part of a broader global effort by Western institutions and governments to repatriate artefacts looted during the 1897 British expedition to the ancient Benin Kingdom, now in Edo State.
Several countries and museums have in recent years begun returning these cultural treasures to Nigeria.
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