Nigeria is set to reopen its embassy in North Korea, according to Patrick Imodu Imologome, the Interim Commissioner for Affairs (Chargé d’Affaires) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Pyongyang.
Imologome disclosed the plan during a protocol visit to the Russian Ambassador to North Korea, A. И. Mategore. The Russian Embassy later shared details of their meeting in a Facebook post.
Diplomatic ties between Nigeria and North Korea were suspended in 2021 after the United Nations imposed a ban on hiring expatriates and professionals from the Asian nation. The sanctions targeted North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Despite the suspension, Nigeria maintained friendly relations with North Korea, even requesting its assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when North Korean medical professionals were flown into the country. However, in 2021, a health professional alerted the UN to Nigeria’s violation of the labor ban, resulting in further diplomatic strain.
By reopening its embassy, Nigeria will become the second African country, after Egypt, to reestablish a diplomatic presence in North Korea.
