By Joy Onu
Nigeria is seeking to deepen cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, technology deployment, and emergency response as both countries move to strengthen their longstanding bilateral relationship.
This commitment was reaffirmed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during a meeting with the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, and members of his delegation in Abuja.
According to the minister, the relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia has grown steadily over nearly five decades, driven by mutual respect, shared interests, and sustained cooperation between both nations.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the presence of several consuls-general in the Saudi delegation underscored the importance attached to the partnership by both countries and expressed optimism that the collaboration would continue to expand, particularly in strengthening institutional ties between their respective ministries.
He identified border security, irregular migration management, and crisis response systems as key areas where Nigeria hopes to build stronger cooperation with Saudi authorities.
The minister also acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s technological advancement in border surveillance and protection, stating that Nigeria is interested in learning from those systems through structured knowledge exchange programmes and delegation visits.
A major focus of the discussions, according to the minister, is Nigeria’s plan to develop a National Internal Emergency Response System to improve the country’s capacity to respond to internal crises and emergencies.
Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria could benefit from Saudi Arabia’s experience in innovation, public safety management, and coordinated emergency response strategies as the government seeks to strengthen the country’s internal security architecture.
In his remarks, Ambassador Al-Balawi reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Nigeria across several critical sectors.
He highlighted his country’s expertise in areas such as traffic management, civil defence operations, correctional services, and large-scale crowd control, particularly during major religious events like Hajj and Ramadan.
The ambassador also pointed to Saudi Arabia’s advancements in digital security systems and citizen engagement platforms that allow residents to report public safety concerns in real time, enabling faster response from security agencies.
Both sides expressed readiness to explore practical areas of collaboration, strengthen institutional capacity, and maintain sustained dialogue aimed at promoting security, stability, and shared prosperity between the two countries.
