On 15 July 2013, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, meets with Mr. Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria on the official visit to Thailand, which will help Thai people to further know and understand Nigeria and African region. Thailand and Nigeria have a solid relationship. However, there is more that the two countries can do to increase political, economic and people-to-people interaction, which will help expand the range of cooperation. Moreover, in August, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to visit Africa, and Nigeria will be the first official destination.
 

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria hopes that Nigeria can learn from Thailand’s experiences, especially in the area of healthcare services. Moreover, the Permanent Secretary would like to invite Thai private sectors to invest in Nigeria because Nigeria possesses a lot of potential, and the country is also a gateway to other African countries as well.
 

In the morning, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria had delivered a lecture on “Nigeria’s role in Africa and opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation with Thailand,” which were attended by the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thai businessmen who are interested in doing businesses in Nigeria.