Nigeria (IP) – Citizens of Nigeria continue to express their positive opinions on the good relations between their country and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which started almost 50 years ago.

Iran PressAfrica: Babaji Umar Misau, a Senior Nigeria diplomat who worked as Nigeria's envoy to Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Somalia, has expressed hope that Nigeria would continue to benefit from her old friend, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as it had been doing for many decades.

In an interview with Iran Press on the Memorandum of understanding signed between Nigeria and the Islamic Republic of Iran on Saturday, 27 August, to expand energy cooperation under which Iran will help Nigeria to repair its oil refineries, Babaji said: "The recent development or agreement signed on oil industry shows you the relationship between Nigeria and Iran has been good over the years since the establishment of the diplomatic relations."

He further said: "You cannot establish diplomatic relationships without a good understanding, a good relationship both at the economic and political parts."

While reacting to the request of the Nigerian Government to the Islamic Republic of Iran to bolster military ties between the two countries, the Senior diplomat said: "Iran would help Nigeria either by military equipment or training for our military staff and other things."

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The former Ambassador who is now holding traditional leadership titled "Wazirin Misau" said: "If you go through the Nigerian history, politically, militarily, economically and otherwise, you will see that since the insurgency began in the Lake Chad region, we have a lot of problems. We recruited so many (Nigerian) people to assist us in the war.

Those we recruited are not well trained. They are just there to manage and assist us in winning that war which we are doing. So, in this case, the request of the (Nigeria's) minister of defense to Iran is in order. Iran's military organization and other training and facilities are far better than our own. That's why the (Nigeria's) minister of defense said we would be happy if Iran assists us."

When asked about the dependence of the African countries on the West, the Ambassador said: "We are supposed to stand on our own but the problem is that of education. If there is no education, development will not come. But now Iran said is going to help us, militarily and otherwise."

Ambassador Babaji Umar Misau prayed for the peaceful general elections expected to be conducted in 2023.

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On Wednesday, 24 August, Nigeria's minister of defense, Major General Bashir Magashi, met with the Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammad AliBak, in Abuja to promote military ties between the Nigerian armed forces and the Islamic Republic armed forces for the mutual benefit of the two friends.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja, General Bashir Magashi told the Iranian Ambassador that this is a time that Nigeria would know her true allies through their various support in dealing with insecurity challenges.

The Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad AliBak, promised that his country would help Nigeria militarily to ensure that peace was restored.

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