Albania and Nigeria established diplomatic relations in the 1990s when Albania began normalizing ties with African nations when she was seeking economic recovery and Western integration.[1] Both countries are members of the United Nations (UN). Nevertheless, there is currently no Albanian embassy in Lagos or Abuja Nigeria and Nigeria as well does not have an embassy in Tirana, Albania. Instead, Albania has an embassy close to Nigeria, in Egypt and Greece[2], while Nigeria has an embassy close to Albania, in Rome.[3][4]
Notwithstanding, the relationship between the two countries is cordial but low-volume, characterized by minimal direct trade, occasional cultural and security alignments, and shared interests in global development. No major conflicts or tensions exist between them, and interactions emphasize mutual support in multilateral settings. [citation needed]
History
Albania's outreach after her colonization and Nigeria's expanding global diplomacy after her independence gave rise to their diplomatic relations. Albania was originally isolated under Enver Hoxha's regime until 1991, when she began normalizing ties with African nations seeking for economic recovery and Western integration. Nigeria, independent since 1960, pursued a pan-African and non-aligned foreign policy under leaders like Jaja Wachuku, fostering relations with newly decolonized countries. [citation needed]
Economic and trade relations
Albania and Nigeria are in cordial trade relations. While Albania exports leather footwears, Non-Knit women's Suits, small machinery parts and Non-Knit Men's Shirts to Nigeria,[5] Nigeria on the other hand exports petroleum and agricultural goods like spices, locust beans, seaweeds, sugar beet, sugarcane and flavored water[6] to Albania.
Between 2008 and 2009, Albania's parliamentary directive expanded ties to over 50 countries, including Nigeria, during the efforts to join international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO, joined 2000). Nigeria listed Albania among her diplomatic partners in UN and Commonwealth contexts.
In the 2010s, both nations engaged through UN General Assembly votes on issues like sustainable development and climate change, reflecting their shared vulnerabilities as developing economies.
In 2021, the U.S. brokered a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 23, 2021, between Albania, Nigeria, and the U.S. to combat illicit trafficking of cultural artifacts.
There is currently no high-level bilateral visits recorded, but leaders of the two countries have crossed paths at UN events, such as the 2023 UN General Assembly.
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