The Moroccan Sovereign King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Prince Moulay Ismail, arrived on Thursday in Abuja for an official visit to Nigeria, the third stage of a tour that also led the Sovereign to Ethiopia and Madagascar.

At his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja,the King  was greeted by Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo.

The Sovereign was afterwards greeted by Morocco’s ambassador and members of the Moroccan embassy in Abuja

At the entrance to the VIP lounge, the King Mohammed VI  was greeted by the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammadu Bello, who handed over to the Sovereign the key of the city of Abuja, an honor reserved for distinguished guests of this city.

After a brief pause at the VIP lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, the official procession headed for the Sovereign’s residence in the Nigerian capital.

The King  Mohammed VI is accompanied during this visit by a large delegation, including notably the Sovereign’s advisors Fouad Ali El Himma and Yassir Zenagui.

The official delegation also includes Foreign minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, Endowments and Islamic Affairs minister, Ahmed Toufiq, Economy and Finance minister, Mohamed Boussaid, Agriculture and Fisheries minister, Aziz Akhannouch, minister delegate to the Foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, as well as several civil and military figures.

The first of its kind in Nigeria, HM the King’s visit expresses the will of Morocco to diversify its partnerships in Africa and to extend the model of South-South cooperation that the Kingdom has developed with its traditional partners in the continent.