Nigeria and Rwanda have resolved to deepen their bilateral relations after Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Paul Kagame met at the Urugwiro Presidential Villa in Kigali on Wednesday, agreeing to revive a dormant joint commission, accelerate pending agreements and explore closer trade and consular ties.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum, covered a broad agenda spanning trade, security, anti-corruption and regional integration.

It brings renewed political attention to a relationship that, despite the considerable weight both countries carry on the continent, has long operated below its potential.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, with a GDP that has historically accounted for the largest share of West Africa’s output.

Rwanda, though significantly smaller, has built a reputation as one of the continent’s most efficiently governed and fastest-growing economies, regularly ranking among the top destinations for foreign direct investment in East Africa.

The two countries have much to offer each other; yet formal cooperation mechanisms between them have moved slowly.

Both presidents agreed to revive the Joint Permanent Ministerial Commission, a bilateral framework originally signed in 2021 that has not been fully operationalised, with Nigeria to host its next meeting.

The commission, when active, is designed to serve as the primary institutional platform through which the two governments coordinate policy, track commitments and advance shared objectives across sectors.

On consular affairs, Tinubu said Nigeria would seriously consider reciprocating Rwanda’s existing 30-day visa-free access for Nigerians, framing the potential move as an expression of Pan-Africanism.

Rwanda has in recent years pursued an open-door visa policy across much of the continent, offering visa-on-arrival or visa-free access to citizens of all African Union member states; a posture that has contributed to Kigali’s growing status as a hub for continental business and diplomacy.

A reciprocal gesture from Abuja would mark a notable shift in Nigeria’s traditionally cautious approach to visa liberalisation.

The two leaders also agreed to activate pending Memoranda of Understanding in tourism, illicit drugs and anti-corruption, agreements that have been signed but have yet to come into effect, and exchanged views on operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area between the two countries.

Both presidents have been vocal supporters of the AfCFTA, which aims to create the world’s largest free trade zone by number of participating countries, but implementation between individual member states has in many cases lagged behind the ambition of the agreement.

On trade connectivity, Nigeria, which established an air cargo corridor with Uganda Airways last year, is now in discussions with RwandAir to create a similar arrangement to expand export opportunities for Nigerian businesses across the continent.

RwandAir, which has grown steadily into a pan-African carrier with routes spanning the continent and beyond, would give Nigerian exporters access to a network that complements rather than duplicates existing connections.

The Africa CEO Forum, which brought several presidents and business executives to Kigali, opened on Thursday and drew some of the continent’s most influential business and policy leaders for two days of discussions on investment, trade and Africa’s economic future.