VP Osinbajo Departs Abuja To Vietnam

Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, departed Abuja on Saturday (today) for a three-day visit to Vietnam.

The VP’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, noted in a statement released today that Osinbajo would visit the Asian country for a high-level bilateral engagement in the South-East nation.

Osinbajo’s visit to Vietnam will make him the second high-ranking Nigerian government official to visit the country after President Olusegun Obasanjo, Naija News understands.

The visit will again strengthen the long-time diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Vietnam since 1976.

Osinbajo is expected to meet with the President of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc; the Vice President, Madam Vo Thi Anh Xuan; the Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, other government officials and the business community.

“The VP’s reciprocal visit to the South-East Asian nation will further strengthen trade and bilateral relations between both countries,” Akande noted.

During the visit to the SRV, the Vice President is expected to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreements between Nigeria and Vietnam, as well as hold high-level diplomatic discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart and other important issues on trade, commerce, agriculture, technology and innovation.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) will also participate in a Business Forum at the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce aimed at matchmaking entrepreneurs from both countries.

With the opportunities existing in agriculture & technology in Nigeria and Vietnam, discussions by both countries would focus on mutual benefits from effective collaboration in these sectors and thereby deepen the friendly and trade relations of both countries.

Back in October 2019, then deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vuong Hue, had urged Nigeria to strengthen the trade and bilateral relations between both countries.

Hue made the call when he met Osinbajo and other senior Nigerian government officials where they interacted with the Nigerian-Vietnam Business Association.

The Deputy Prime Minister, accompanied to Nigeria by senior Vietnamese Government officials and businessmen at the time, noted then that Nigeria was Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Africa.

The VP will conclude the Vietnam visit on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, and is expected to return to Nigeria immediately.