Nigeria and Vietnam at 50: From solidarity to shared prosperity

This year, Nigeria and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam mark 50 years since diplomatic relations were established on 25th May 1976. What began as political solidarity between two post-colonial states has matured into a partnership delivering results in trade, investment, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

From embassies to high-level engagement

For decades, relations were maintained through concurrent accreditation. The partnership deepened with resident missions: Nigeria opened its embassy in Hanoi in 2007, and Vietnam reciprocated with an embassy in Abuja in the same year. The two embassies were established essentially to allow Nigeria and Vietnam share experiences in the areas of oil and gas and agriculture.

Since then High-level visits have kept the momentum alive.

In October 2019, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo hosted Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister in Abuja, where both countries signed a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders and agreed to set up a joint commission on trade. Osinbajo noted that “the impressive development strides recorded by Vietnam over the years have been a source of encouragement to Nigeria”.

Most recently, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Bui Quoc Hung, told APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, that bilateral trade reached a historic $1 billion in 2024 for the first time. The same volume was recorded in 2025. “It’s a very remarkable achievement because, in the past, our trade volume typically ranged between 500 and 600 million dollars,” Hung said.

Trade and investment: A $1 billion milestone

The $1 billion mark is more than symbolic. It represents nearly double the $500 million to 600 million average of previous years.

Vietnam exports electronics, garments, textiles, and consumer goods to Nigeria, while importing crude oil, cashew nuts, and other raw materials. Interestingly, trade balance between the two countries favours Nigeria.

Agriculture is the next frontier. Ambassador Hung has repeatedly stressed that Nigeria’s fertile land, water resources, and youthful labour force, combined with Vietnam’s thousands of years of rice cultivation expertise, present huge opportunities. “We can work together to process cashew nuts here in Nigeria in order to export to a nearby market like Europe,” he added.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged this trajectory in September 2025, stating that “Vietnam remains a key trade partner of Nigeria and the current volume of trade between both countries is about $1 billion, as of the last quarter of 2024.”

The role of the Nigeria-Vietnam Economic, Trade and Cultural Association

Government channels alone cannot sustain growth. That gap is being filled by the Nigeria-Vietnam Economic, Trade and Cultural Association, (NVETCA). Registered after rigorous scrutiny by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Association was founded essentially to promote bilateral trade, economic and cultural relations between Nigeria and Vietnam.

In October 2024, it co-hosted a high-level business roundtable in Abuja with the Vietnamese Embassy, focusing on agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, and exportsand imports.

Ambassador Luong Quoc Thinh, a one-time Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria called the Association “capable of building a practical bridge for entrepreneurs and businesses of the two countries to seek investment opportunities.”

Culture, education, and people-to-people ties

Culture has become a bridge. Vietnamese cultural weeks, film screenings, and culinary events in Abuja and Lagos have introduced Nigerians to Vietnamese heritage, while Nollywood and Afrobeats gain visibility in Vietnam. Ambassador Hung has emphasised the need for “more exchanges of delegations and programmes between our specific artist group,  particularly concerning art and culture.”

Education and technical cooperation are expanding.

Vietnam offers scholarships and training in agriculture, aquaculture, and public administration. Ambassador Hung again noted that Vietnam’s administrative reforms and agricultural model offer lessons for developing countries.

Economic profiles: Complementary Strengths

The numbers tell the story of complementarity:

Nigeria’s market size and resources offer scale. Vietnam’s manufacturing model and export orientation offer lessons in value addition. Joint ventures that combine Nigerian raw materials with Vietnamese processing capacity are the most immediate opportunity.

Looking ahead

The next 50 years must move from trade in commodities to co-production and technology transfer. Priority areas include agro-industry, light manufacturing in Nigeria’s special economic zones, digital economy cooperation, and expanded scholarships. Accordingly, we expect to see Vietnamese take advantage of Nigeria’s central location in Africa and migrate some of the production lines of their industries to Nigeria, to produce for Africa, Europe and America. This will be a win-win situation and deepening South-South relations.

Challenges remain.

Ambassador Hung has called on Nigeria to address lingering visa obstacles that affect officials and business travellers, noting that a 2019 visa waiver agreement is not fully implemented. Resolving this will be critical to sustaining momentum.

Former Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, reaffirmed this commitment in September 2025: “Nigeria reaffirms its readiness to deepen bilateral relations with Vietnam, explore new areas of partnership, and promote greater people-to-people ties for the mutual benefit of both nations.”

Fifty years ago, Nigeria and Vietnam chose to stand together in a world that doubted newly independent states. That choice has matured into a partnership with real economic content. With political will, private sector engagement, and institutions like NVETCA bridging the gap, the next 50 years can deliver prosperity visible in farms, factories, classrooms, and markets across both countries.

Fifty years ago, Nigeria and Vietnam formalised a relationship rooted in mutual respect and South-South solidarity. Today, that relationship has the foundation to become a model of pragmatic cooperation between Africa and Asia.

As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu noted during a recent meeting with Ambassador Hung “Nigeria is open for business, and Vietnam is a partner we want to grow with.”

If both sides sustain political will, deepen private sector engagement, and invest in people-to-people ties, the next 50 years will yield results far greater than the last.

The foundation is set. The work now is to build on it.

Ambassador Bako MFR, mni, is Chairman of Nigeria Vietnam Economic Trade and Cultural Association as well as the first Nigerian envoy to Vietnam

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)