During his recent visit to Nigeria on November 17, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of India’s strategic partnership with the country. He held discussions with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to enhance cooperation in key sectors such as defence, trade, and energy.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism, piracy, and radicalization together, while also striving to fulfill the aspirations of the Global South. PM Modi extended India’s expertise in agriculture, transportation, affordable medicine, renewable energy, and digital transformation to Nigeria.
President Tinubu acknowledged India’s development cooperation partnership and its positive impact on building local capacities and professional skills. The discussions between the two leaders were described as “very productive,” with a focus on strengthening the strategic partnership and exploring opportunities for collaboration in various areas.
Following the talks, three Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) were signed on cultural exchange, customs cooperation, and survey cooperation. PM Modi highlighted the challenges of terrorism, separatism, piracy, and drug trafficking, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration between India and Nigeria to address these issues.
The Indian expatriate community in Nigeria, consisting of around 60,000 individuals, was recognized as a significant pillar of the bilateral relationship. PM Modi expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for ensuring the welfare of Indian expatriates and announced India’s assistance of 20 tonnes of relief supplies for flood-affected people in Nigeria.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that both leaders reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation and explored ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership. They identified areas such as trade, investment, education, energy, health, and culture for enhanced collaboration.
PM Modi also invited Nigeria to join India’s pro-environment initiatives, such as the International Solar Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance. The two leaders agreed to work together to meet the development aspirations of the Global South and discussed global and regional issues.
India-Nigeria ties were elevated to a “strategic partnership” in 2007, and the two countries have been close partners for over six decades. The presence of a large Indian expatriate community and significant Indian investments in Nigeria underscore the strength of the relationship between the two nations.
India has emerged as a key development partner for Nigeria, offering assistance through concessional loans and capacity-building training programs. The visit of PM Modi to Nigeria is part of a three-nation tour, with subsequent stops in Brazil for the G20 summit and Guyana.
Published – November 17, 2024 08:07 pm IST
