RismadarVoice Reporters
March 10, 2026
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called for enhanced parliamentary cooperation between Nigeria and Italy to strengthen bilateral relations, promote mutual development.
Akpabio made the call on Tuesday when the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, paid him a courtesy visit at his office at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The Senate President said the Nigerian Parliament would welcome any arrangement that would foster closer collaboration with the Italian Parliament, particularly through exchange programmes and peer review initiatives.
“For us in the Parliament, any agreement that can enable us to have a relationship with the Italian Parliament will be welcome, so that we can have exchange programmes and peer review to see the best of what you are doing and also bring that up for the betterment of humanity,” Akpabio said.
He also urged the Italian envoy, who was recently posted to Nigeria, to review the existing bilateral agreements between the two countries, noting that many of them had become dormant and required revival.
Akpabio further emphasized the need to strengthen cultural exchanges between Nigeria and Italy, especially as more than 100,000 Nigerians are legally residing in Italy.
“As at today, we have well over 100,000 legal residents in Italy from Nigeria. That calls for serious attention towards cultural exchanges,” he stated.
The Senate President also appealed to the Italian government to ease visa processes for Nigerians, describing the current procedures as cumbersome. He commended the introduction of the direct flight from Lagos to Milan, noting that it had been beneficial to business travellers.
He expressed hope that both countries would revisit the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to allow for direct flights from Abuja to Rome and other Italian cities.
Earlier, the Italian Ambassador, Roberto Mengoni, expressed optimism that during his tenure in Nigeria, bilateral relations between both countries would be strengthened at all levels.
“We hope that during my stay in Nigeria we could develop bilateral relations at all levels — with your government and with your Legislature,” he said.
Mengoni also welcomed the recent agreement signed between Nigeria and ENI, a major Italian oil company formerly known as Agip, which resolved longstanding disputes and opened the way for fresh investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in partnership with Shell.
According to him, the development would serve as an important step toward revitalizing economic, commercial and trade relations between Italy and Nigeria, noting that it would also attract other major companies and create a positive investment narrative for the country.
The ambassador commended the Nigerian government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for resolving the longstanding dispute and creating an enabling environment for renewed investment.
