Soon, the program of cultural exchanges between Iran and Nigeria will be set up on the basis of a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries

  In order to develop and expand the cultural activities of Iran and Nigeria and to follow up on the memorandum of understanding exchanged between the two countries, which was signed by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, the Cultural Advisor of our country met with the new head of the National Council for Culture and Art of Nigeria.

 Mr. Majid Kamrani, in a meeting with Mr. Obi Assika, the head of this center, while congratulating him on his new responsibility and the full establishment of the new government, referred to the ancient history and culture of several thousand years of Islamic Iran and said: "The culture and art of Iran today is the result of the interaction, behavior and practical manifestation of a long history of a nation." We are very interested in interacting and sharing these great capacities with the great people of Nigeria. Mr. Kamrani went on to mention the strong will of the two countries to develop cultural, artistic and scientific cooperation in this regard, which has shown itself in the form of a cultural memorandum of understanding signed in 2022 between Iran and Nigeria on the sidelines of the sixth joint commission in Tehran, and we are here today to discuss the possibility of transforming this memorandum into an action plan and a program of exchanges together Let's think together.

Holding the biennial cultural week of Iran and Nigeria in each other's countries, sisterhood of the centers of the states of Nigeria with the capitals of the provinces of Islamic Iran, exchange of professors and students between scientific and artistic centers of Iran and Nigeria, use of study and research opportunities for researchers and researchers, granting scholarships to those interested in studying at a higher level in the two countries, teaching cultural, artistic skills and decorations and building architecture, The production of joint cultural and indigenous products in order to develop and stimulate the foundations of the cultural economy in the two countries and the dispatch of health tourists and religious tourists, considering the existence of a population of 18 million Shiites in this country, were the items that were emphasized to be included in the framework of the exchange program and exchanged between the two countries in the near future. 

In this meeting, Mr. Obi Assika, while announcing his full readiness with the suggestions of our country's cultural advisor, identified one of his deputies to formulate and adjust this exchange program so that the issue can be raised at the level of the Nigerian Minister of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy and facilitate its exchange.  

It is worth mentioning that the National Council for Culture and Arts of Nigeria is one of the general departments of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy. However, since he is also in charge of policy making and coordination of the federal government of Nigeria with the 36 states of Nigeria, and for this reason, the head of this center is directly appointed by the president and has a special position in this field in Nigeria.

June 2024

Cultural Consultation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Nigeria