Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Amb. Ahmed Sulu-Gambari, has called for stronger economic diplomacy to translate Nigeria-Malaysia relations into tangible trade, investment and development outcomes.
Sulu-Gambari made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.
The envoy, who assumed office in Malaysia in July, said Nigeria could draw valuable lessons from Malaysia’s approach to supporting businesses, developing export ecosystems and penetrating international markets.
“Malaysia has a very vibrant economy. It is a team for Nigerians to learn from and try to promote collaborations between the Nigerian and Malaysian business communities,” he said.
Sulu-Gambari identified the Halal economy as an area in which Malaysia had developed considerable expertise, noting that it had expanded beyond food to beverages, technology, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and tourism.
He said Nigeria could learn from Malaysia’s use of government policies, financial institutions and educational institutions to support businesses and improve their access to international markets.
“The area that we could tap into is to study how they penetrate the international market,” he said.
According to him, access to financing and institutional support had enabled Malaysian businesses to expand and compete more effectively in global markets.
He said Nigeria needed to strengthen similar support systems while creating greater confidence among Malaysian companies seeking investment opportunities in the country.
The high commissioner said attracting more Malaysian businesses to Nigeria remained one of the priorities of the mission.
“Malaysia has been engaging Nigeria in oil, electronics and petroleum businesses. It is our duty to increase the number of Malaysian companies in Nigeria,” he said.
Sulu-Gambari said the mission had also been engaging Malaysian authorities and business stakeholders on investment opportunities in Nigeria and ways to create an enabling environment for Malaysian companies.
He cited a recent webinar hosted by the Nigerian Mission in Malaysia and the Malaysian High Commission in Nigeria, led by Aiyub Omar, that focused on investment opportunities and measures to improve the business environment.
The envoy acknowledged that security concerns remained one of the issues raised by potential Malaysian investors but said the challenges should not overshadow the opportunities available in Nigeria.
“I would try to allay their fear that yes, we might be having some hiccups or challenges here and there, but the challenges are not insurmountable in Nigeria,” he said.
Sulu-Gambari said Nigeria had a large market, investment opportunities and government policies capable of supporting businesses, adding that diplomacy should help connect foreign investors with those opportunities.
He also called for stronger communication between Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad and relevant authorities at home to ensure that investment opportunities identified overseas translated into concrete action.
“My own suggestion as a diplomat is to establish a good, credible line of communication so that when we see things that could be of benefit to Nigeria, we should know where to report it to,” he said.
He stressed that diplomatic engagements should move beyond meetings and rhetoric to produce measurable benefits for the country.
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“The world is moving from rhetoric of meetings in and out. These meetings to action: what are the benefits, the direct, derivable benefits to Nigeria,” he said.
Sulu-Gambari said the mission would continue working with Malaysian authorities, businesses and institutions to deepen bilateral economic relations and expand opportunities for Nigerian and Malaysian businesses.
NAN reports that Nigeria and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1960, with both countries maintaining cooperation in areas including trade, investment, education, energy and people-to-people relations.
