President Bola Tinubu has received the President of Madagascar, Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja
The Malagasy leader arrived at the State House at about 2:57 p.m. and was received with ceremonial honours, including a display by bagpipers from the Presidential Brigade of Guards as he was escorted into the premises.
He was first welcomed by a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, before being ushered into the President’s office complex for the private talks.
The visit marks Colonel Randrianirina’s first official trip to Nigeria since assuming office in October 2025, following a political transition that brought him into power after the exit of former President Andry Rajoelina.
It also represents the first recorded state visit by a Malagasy head of state to Nigeria, with previous high-level engagements between both countries mostly taking place at multilateral forums outside their respective capitals.
The meeting follows a brief encounter between both leaders earlier in May at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
Prior diplomatic interactions between Nigeria and Madagascar under former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari were largely limited to international summits.
Since taking office, Randrianirina has embarked on a series of diplomatic visits across Africa, including trips to Gabon, as he pushes Madagascar’s foreign policy direction, which includes interest in stronger engagement with emerging global blocs such as BRICS.
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