The Nigerian embassy building was officially opened in Cairo in the year 2000. However, diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Egypt have a long history, dating back to the early years of Nigerian independence. The two nations established diplomatic ties in 1961 as a result of the strong bond that existed between
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first prime minister of Nigeria, and Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser. Since then, the relationship between Nigeria and Egypt has been marked by mutual cooperation and support in various fields, including political, economic, and cultural. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Nigeria and Egypt were two of the most influential countries in Africa. Nigeria had the largest population in Africa and its economy was growing rapidly. Egypt was also a major regional power and was a leader in the non-aligned movement. Both countries were instrumental in promoting economic growth and development, as well as regional stability in the region. They played a major role in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union. Nigeria and Egypt continued to strengthen their economic and political ties between the 70s and 90s. They signed trade, cultural cooperation, and science and technology agreements. Despite the
2008 financial crisis, Egyptian exports to Nigeria rose by 160% in 2009. Some major Egyptian companies, including Arab Contractors and Orascom Construction, have invested over
US$1.4 billion in Nigeria. At the same time, private sector initiatives like the Egyptian Nigerian Business Council have been established to promote business cooperation. Egypt Air's presence in Nigeria has helped increase tourism to Cairo, and the availability of over 150 Egyptian physicians throughout Nigeria has contributed to the country's growing medical tourism industry. Presently, numerous Nigerian students are pursuing engineering, medical and other degree programs at various Egyptian universities, and there are also hundreds of Nigerian students who are taking advantage of scholarships provided by the Egyptian government and Al-Azhar Sheikhdom. When the African Union suspended Egypt from all its activities after the Egyptian army ousted the elected president, Mohamed Mursi and suspended its constitution, Nigeria stood firmly behind Egypt to guarantee their comeback to the Union. According to data, in 2020, Egypt exported goods worth $136 million to Nigeria, with an annual growth rate of 19.6% over the past 25 years. Nigeria, on the other hand, exported goods valued at $4.2 million to Egypt, mainly consisting of spices. Nigeria's exports to Egypt increased at an annual rate of 11.6%, from $271,000 in 1995 to $4.2 million in 2020. The numbers fall below the expected outcome of the diplomatic relations between both countries as they confront domestic challenges as well as regional and international geopolitical complexities that hamper greater political and economic prosperity. Ahmed Jazbhay identifies decoloniality as the clog in the wheel of both economies. Nigeria and Egypt are both members of the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the
African Union and the
African Development Bank as well as other multilateral organizations such as the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
Developing 8,
Non-Aligned Movement,
Group of 15,
Group of 24, and
Group of 77. ==MOUs, agreements and high-level visits between Nigeria and Egypt==