President Yoon Suk-yeol gestures during a summit with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, saying his administration will work hard to increase exchanges between the two countries.

The meeting took place as Buhari was in Seoul to attend the inaugural World Bio Summit co-hosted by South Korea and the World Health Organization.

He is the first Nigerian president to visit South Korea in 10 years.

"Nigeria has developed friendly and cooperative relations with us in various areas during the 42 years since our countries established diplomatic ties," Yoon said during the meeting at the presidential office, adding that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and a cultural powerhouse.

Yoon also noted that South Korea opened its first cultural center in Africa in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in 2010.

"I am confident Nigeria's economic and cultural capabilities will make even larger contributions to our two countries' exchanges and cooperation, and my government will also make active efforts," he said.

Buhari thanked Yoon for inviting him to South Korea and for his well-wishes over the recent flooding in Nigeria. (Yonhap)