President Bola Tinubu is holding a closed-door meeting with the President of Madagascar, Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Malagasy leader arrived at the State House at exactly 2:57 p.m. local time and was received with ceremonial honours, including a bagpipe performance by the Presidential Brigade of Guards. He was later escorted to the forecourt before being ushered into the President’s office complex for the private discussions.

On arrival, he was received by a delegation led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, before proceeding into the meeting venue for the closed-door engagement.

The visit marks President Randrianirina’s first official trip to Nigeria since assuming office in October 2025, following the political transition that brought him into power after the exit of former President Andry Rajoelina.

It also represents the first recorded visit by a Malagasy head of state to Nigeria, as past high-level exchanges between both countries have largely taken place at multilateral events rather than bilateral state visits.

This engagement comes just weeks after both leaders met briefly on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, in May.

Previous interactions between Nigerian and Malagasy leaders, including former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, were mostly held during international summits outside both countries.

Since assuming office, President Randrianirina has embarked on a series of diplomatic visits across Africa, including trips to Gabon, and has also expressed interest in strengthening Madagascar’s ties with the BRICS group of emerging economies.