Reno Omokri: Nigeria’s Relations with Mexico Shouldn’t Be Defined By Ogun Drug Bust

Says both countries have good diplomatic links, incident isolated

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has said that the recent drug-related arrests involving suspected Mexican nationals in Ogun State should not be used to define the relationship between Nigeria and Mexico, stressing that the two countries have enjoyed strong diplomatic ties for five decades.

Speaking on Channels Television, Omokri described the incident as an isolated case of criminality by a few individuals and insisted that it had no bearing on the broader relationship between both nations.

He urged Nigerians not to judge an entire country based on the actions of a handful of individuals, noting that Mexico had similarly refrained from allowing crimes committed by some Nigerians within its territory to affect bilateral relations.

“We have had diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1976 and in that time, have you heard of people of Mexican origin being involved in any kind of criminality in Nigeria? No. This is an isolated event. We should not frame our relationship with this great country on that basis,” Omokri said.

The comments came weeks after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the dismantling of a major drug trafficking syndicate in Ogun State and the arrest of several suspects, including foreign nationals believed to be of Mexican origin, in connection with the operation. 

Omokri insisted that conversations should be centred around areas of cooperation, pointing out that the relationship between the two countries should be assessed on the basis of shared interests and mutual benefits.

“What happened has nothing to do with the United Mexican States. It was just criminality by a few individuals,” he said.

The ambassador-designate described Mexico as one of Nigeria’s closest partners in the international community, citing the country’s treatment of Nigerians as evidence of mutual respect between both nations.

“Mexico is one of, in fact, probably Nigeria’s best friends in the international community. Right here in Nigeria, you have less than 500 people of Mexican origin. In Mexico, you’ve got 50,000 Nigerians. The reason you have that many Nigerians there is because Mexico respects the dignity of the Nigerian person,” he emphasised.

He maintained that despite cases involving Nigerians who had committed offences in Mexico, the Mexican government had never allowed such incidents to define relations with Nigeria. “Mexico has not framed their relationship with us on that basis,” he stated.

Omokri also highlighted areas where Nigeria could benefit from Mexico’s experience, particularly in trade integration, infrastructure development and economic growth.

“Mexico has a $2 trillion GDP. It’s the 13th largest economy in the world. One of the reasons is because of NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which in 2020 changed to USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). Nigeria has been trying to run off with the AfCFTA. We’ve been having challenges. We can learn from Mexico how to be a success with AfCFTA,” he said.

He added that Mexico’s railway infrastructure and export-driven economy offer useful lessons for Nigeria, while noting that trade relations currently favour Nigeria.

“If you look at our trade with Mexico, Mexico is a country where we have a trade surplus. Every year, we export to Mexico about $60 million worth of goods and services and every year they only export to us about $20 million,” he said.

Omokri further praised Mexican investments in Nigeria, including CEMEX, arguing that they contribute positively to local economic development and pointed to opportunities for expanding agricultural exports to Mexico.

“I was talking to the governor of Zamfara. They just built a cargo airport in Zamfara and they said one of the things that Mexico needs, they need perfume plants, they need hibiscus. We’ve got a very huge demand for that.

“I think we should frame our relationship with them along those lines, not along the lines of a very highly isolated security issue,” the ambassador-designate stressed.

On reports suggesting delays in his assumption of duties as ambassador, Omokri dismissed claims that Mexican authorities had rejected his appointment, citing the need to follow due process.