Spain has expressed strong interest in Operationalizing legal cooperation milestones between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain, including agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of sentenced prisoners, and extradition.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Nigeria, Félix Costales Artieda announced this when he visited Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in Abuja on Wednesday 18th February 2026 in a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening Nigeria–Spain bilateral relations across key strategic sectors.
He informed his host that Spain had completed its internal ratification process for the extradition agreement signed during the 2022 State Visit of former President Muhammadu Buhari to Spain, and expressed hope for the finalization of Nigeria’s ratification procedures to bring the agreement into full force.
Welcoming the Spanish Ambassador and his delegation, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended her guest’s proactive leadership since his assumption of duty in Abuja. She noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to consolidate the gains of recent high-level exchanges, including the official visit of Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs to Madrid and subsequent engagements that reinforced diplomatic momentum between both countries.
In his remarks, Ambassador Artieda noted that while the MoU on political dialogue provides a useful platform for regular consultations at ministerial and senior official levels and proposed exploring structured political consultations at the level of Ministers of State to ensure sustained review of bilateral progress.
Security cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. Ambassador Costales referenced Spain’s collaboration with Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), including a recent technical workshop on victims of terrorism organized in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
He emphasized Spain’s readiness to deepen collaboration on counter-terrorism, sharing best practices, victim support frameworks, and broader security sector engagement.
Responding, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu welcomed Spain’s focus on victims of terrorism, noting that while much attention is often placed on kinetic and defence responses, the humanitarian impact on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and affected communities requires equal emphasis.
She stressed the importance of social cohesion, post-conflict rehabilitation, and deradicalization efforts as integral components of national and regional security architecture.
On migration management, both sides discussed the shared challenges posed by irregular migration routes, particularly across the Mediterranean corridor. The Honourable Minister of State expressed concern over the tragic loss of lives along migration routes, including crossings toward Ceuta and Melilla, and underscored the need for expanded economic opportunities at home to reduce migration pressures.
She noted that youth unemployment and demographic realities require targeted bilateral collaboration in job creation, skills development, and investment promotion.
The Ambassador reaffirmed Spain’s interest in working closely with Nigeria on migration governance frameworks and acknowledged the complexity of immigration regulations within Spain’s national legal system. Both sides agreed to explore practical solutions to procedural concerns affecting Nigerian nationals resident in Spain, particularly documentation processes tied to police clearance certifications.
Economic cooperation constituted a major pillar of the engagement. Ambassador Costales noted that Spain remains one of Nigeria’s key energy trading partners, particularly in gas imports, and expressed interest in expanding Spanish private sector investment in Nigeria. He referenced the involvement of Spanish engineering firm Técnicas Reunidas in a major private sector tender within Nigeria’s energy sector and highlighted the growing footprint of Spanish multinational companies such as Indra, particularly in digital systems and security solutions.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu observed that while Spain is one of Nigeria’s important trading partners, Spanish private sector presence in Nigeria remains below potential. Drawing from her experience as Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, she reflected on past initiatives aimed at expanding Spanish commercial engagement, including proposals to establish a cultural and business facilitation
