Duda in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal for first visit by a Polish president to West African states

President Andrzej Duda is today in Ivory Coast on the second leg of a visit to West Africa that began yesterday in Nigeria and will conclude in Senegal. As well as discussing energy cooperation and counteracting Russian propaganda, he intends to “listen to the voice of Africa”.

Energy and food security were the main topics of Duda’s meeting with his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on what was the first official visit of a Polish president to Nigeria since diplomatic relations were established between the countries 60 years ago.

“We would like energy supplies to Poland from Nigeria to be bigger in future,” the Polish president said, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). He emphasised the importance for energy security of imports of LNG and petroleum. The two sides also signed a memorandum of cooperation on agriculture.

These issues are particularly important in the light of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which has “caused a very serious food crisis and a very serious energy crisis”, Duda noted.

That “is why both support for Ukraine in its export of agricultural products and support for African countries – above all our partner country Nigeria – is very important for us”, he added.

“We would like to increase this cooperation so that supplies from Nigeria to our country are bigger, so that our economic relations develop in this area.”

Buhari, who thanked Poland for its help for Ukrainian refugees as well as Nigerian students affected by the war, said that his country was ready to step up relations with Poland in various areas.

“‘Our cooperation in education has a long history and we wish to encourage the extension of that cooperation…in order to help drive innovation in our countries in this competitive global knowledge economy,” he said, quoted by Nigerian newspaper Daily Post.

“As regards trade relations, we would like to see an increase in the level of trade, as it remains relatively low in spite of the long period of relations between our two countries,” the Nigerian leader added.

This morning, the Polish president landed in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital of Abidjan, also the first time that a Polish head of state has visited the country. Talks will again focus on energy supplies as well as counteracting Russian food blackmail and propaganda.

Duda “intends to listen very carefully to the voice of Africa” before attending next week’s UN General Assembly, said Jakub Kumoch, head of the president’s international policy bureau, before their departure.

He also noted that African countries have faced strong pressure from Russian propaganda. “Many of them understand what the situation really looks like, but you need to talk, talk, talk about that.”

“We will talk about how to counteract Russian food blackmail, but we also want to show how our region of Europe – which was never a coloniser – perceives Russian imperialism,” he added. “Poland is a big country and can afford to have a much broader policy than our neighbourhood. Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal are all key countries.”

Main image credit: Jakub Szymczuk/KPRP

Ben Koschalka

Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.