Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations with the Republic of Congo.
He made the remark while receiving the Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, Anatole Makosso, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Vice President @KashimSM has affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic ties with the Republic of Congo, acknowledging the leadership of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso in promoting regional peace and stability, especially across Africa’s Great Lakes region.
He… pic.twitter.com/EO2ENkDeRd
— Senator Kashim Shettima (@officialSKSM) August 2, 2025
The Vice President received the Congolese delegation on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
He acknowledged the leadership role of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso in promoting regional peace and stability, particularly in Africa’s Great Lakes region.
Shettima also stated that Nigeria would consider Congo’s request for support in its bid to lead the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
“Nigeria commends the leadership of the Congolese President, and we are committed to strengthening bilateral ties.
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso is one of the greatest stabilisers on the African continent.
He is well-respected and has the experience and exposure to provide leadership in a turbulent region.
Your country is a beacon of hope and stability in the region,” he said.
The Vice President assured that all the issues raised by the visiting Prime Minister particularly Congo’s request for Nigeria’s endorsement of Firmin Edouard Matoko as UNESCO Director-General—would be conveyed to President Tinubu.
“Be rest assured that all the issues raised, especially regarding your candidate for the position of Director-General of UNESCO, will be conveyed to the President.
I am hopeful he will endorse the candidacy, fundamentally because what binds us together is greater than what divides us. Wherever we go, we are essentially one people,” he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Makosso delivered a special message from President Sassou-Nguesso to President Tinubu. He called for deeper relations between both nations and formally requested Nigeria’s support for Matoko, a long-serving UNESCO official.
“We have a candidate for the post of Director-General of UNESCO Firmin Edouard Matoko a seasoned diplomat and senior official of the organisation with over three decades of experience,” he said.
Also Read: VP Shettima Heads to Addis Ababa for UN Food Systems Summit
Makosso explained that Matoko joined UNESCO in 1990 and had served in multiple strategic roles, including as Director of several regional offices, Director of the Africa Department, and most recently as Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations.
He stressed that Congo’s support for Matoko was based on competence, not just nationality.
“We are seeking Nigeria’s support for his candidature not simply because he is Congolese, but because he is eminently qualified particularly at a time when UNESCO needs a leader with such extensive experience,” he added.
The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government and people for their humanitarian support to Congolese children who benefited from the Rochas Foundation.
“We want to thank the good people of Nigeria for taking care of some Congolese children many of them orphans who were offered free education through the Rochas Foundation.
Some of them have graduated, while others are still in school. We are very grateful,” he said.
He concluded by commending President Tinubu’s leadership within ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations, and also expressed condolences to Nigerians over the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
