Nigeria-OIC cooperation on Sahel and Lake Chad

Nigeria and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are seeking to deepen bilateral cooperation to address security and humanitarian crises in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.

In mid-August, Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, proposed the establishment of a Nigeria–OIC Working Group on Humanitarian Affairs during a meeting in Abuja. The initiative aims to enhance regional coordination regarding insecurity, interfaith dialogue, and assistance for displaced populations, while also promoting youth empowerment and healthcare development. OIC Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Dr. Tarig Ali Bakheet expressed readiness to strengthen ties and invited Nigeria to host upcoming social development and cultural events.

By late August, during the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, reaffirmed the push for the working group. He urged the OIC to transition from “diplomatic solidarity to measurable development outcomes,” specifically calling for stronger collaboration with the African Union to tackle terrorism, food and energy security, and climate change in Africa.