President Paul Kagame and his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu have held discussions on bilateral relations, intra-African trade and defence cooperation. Tinubu, who arrived in Kigali on Wednesday, ahead of the Africa CEO Forum, was received by Kagame at Village Urugwiro. ALSO READ: RDF hosts Nigerian defence college delegation on study tour Their discussions focused on strengthening the fruitful partnership between Rwanda and Nigeria across key sectors including trade, energy and defense cooperation, the Office of the President said. President Kagame received H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at Urugwiro Village. Their discussions focused on strengthening the fruitful partnership between Rwanda and Nigeria across key sectors including trade, energy and defense cooperation.... pic.twitter.com/5HSmKIsbJE — Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) May 13, 2026 The Nigerian leader also commended the relations between the two countries, the productive bilateral engagement with President Kagame. ALSO READ: Nigerian envoy looks to stronger ties with Rwanda Nigeria and Rwanda understand what this moment requires. Africa must trade more with itself, move goods faster, connect its markets better, and give its entrepreneurs the continental scale they need to compete, Tinubu said in a post on X. We are also in the early stages of discussions with RwandAir on a practical flat rate arrangement that can help Nigerian businesses ship their goods more predictably across the continent. ALSO READ: Kagame, Nigeria’s Tinubu discuss world affairs He added that as champions of the African Continnental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria and Rwanda will continue to work together to deepen digital trade, strengthen market access, and remove the barriers that limit African enterprise. Nigeria is proud to host the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and Digital Trade Forum in June, he said. I arrived in Kigali this afternoon from Nairobi, where we joined other African leaders at the Africa Forward Summit co-hosted by President Ruto and President Macron to advance a new model of partnership built on trade, investment, innovation, infrastructure, and shared... pic.twitter.com/HTQ2arOdaG — Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) May 13, 2026 Tinubu arrived in Rwanda from Kenya, where he and Kagame joined other African and French leaders for Africa-Forward Summit. He reiterated that the continent needs to fast-track its development. Africa’s future will not be built by speeches alone. It will be built by trade, investment, innovation, and the courage to trust one another’s markets, said Tinubu.
