Shettima made the remarks on Thursday during a courtesy visit by Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Vice President said Nigeria was committed to strengthening cooperation with Poland in areas including defence, agriculture, maritime development and the digital economy, stressing that both countries possess strong opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
“Nigeria is ready for business and under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the country is committed to deepening ties with the Republic of Poland in different sectors of the economy,” Shettima said.
He noted that Poland has established itself as a leader in several strategic sectors and said Nigeria was interested in leveraging those strengths to drive development and investment.
“There is room for improved relations between our countries,” the Vice President stated, adding that the partnership could expand into “defence cooperation, digital economy, agriculture and other sectors where Poland has shown remarkable comparative advantage.”
“Since assumption of office over two years ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unlocked the full potentials of the Nigerian economy,” he said.
“We have liberalised the foreign exchange market; we have removed subsidy on petroleum products; we have harmonised our tax laws such that companies coming into Nigeria will not be overtaxed and there is room for improvement in our relationship in critical areas.”
The Vice President further described Poland as one of Europe’s most progressive and strategic countries, noting that Nigeria seeks partnerships based on economic cooperation and long-term value creation rather than dependency on aid.
“There is room for enhanced mutually beneficial business relations between Nigeria and Poland. We believe in a truly beneficial relationship than on reliance on any country for aid,” he added.
In his remarks, Gawkowski described Nigeria as Poland’s most strategic partner in Africa and expressed optimism that the visit would open a new chapter of collaboration between both countries.
According to him, Nigeria possesses significant demographic and technological advantages that make it an important partner for long-term economic cooperation.
“Nigeria is a country with enormous demographic and technological potential, as well as Poland’s partner for development and long-term cooperation,” the Polish Deputy Prime Minister said.
He added that the engagement was expected to create “new momentum for cooperation in the areas of the economy, innovation, and digitization.”
