Strengthening the Nigeria-EU Strategic Partnership: A Professional Evaluation of the Joint Way Forward

This study undertakes a professional evaluation of the EU-Nigeria Joint Way Forward, the bilateral strategic framework governing EU-Nigeria relations across political, economic, security, and development dimensions. Adopted in 2022, the Joint Way Forward represents a significant upgrade of the bilateral partnership, reflecting both the EU's new approach to Africa under the Global Gateway strategy and Nigeria's evolving foreign policy priorities. This applied research draws on the text of the EU-Nigeria Joint Way Forward, European Commission progress documentation, Nigerian government implementation reports, and policy analysis from ECOWAS and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) published between 2022 and 2024. The study evaluates how the strategic partnership framework has been operationalised across its four key pillars: trade and investment, governance and human rights, security and development, and climate and sustainable development. Interviews with diplomats, policy analysts, and private sector representatives in Abuja provide primary professional assessment data. The research critically examines whether the strategic partnership framework reflects equitable negotiating power between the EU and Nigeria, and whether its implementation timelines and accountability mechanisms are adequate. Findings contribute to professional understanding of EU-Nigeria bilateral relations management at the strategic level. Keywords: EU-Nigeria strategic partnership, Joint Way Forward, bilateral relations, Global Gateway, diplomacy.