In a joint statement following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to Nigeria, the two nations have committed to closer collaboration across key sectors, including security, trade, healthcare, and energy. The visit, at the invitation of President Bola Tinubu, marked a significant milestone in Nigeria-India relations.
Prime Minister Modi received a formal welcome in Abuja, with the two leaders engaging in bilateral talks focused on security cooperation, specifically on counterterrorism, maritime security, and intelligence sharing. As both countries face maritime security threats, they pledged to enhance joint naval exercises and anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea.
President Tinubu and Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the strong economic partnership between Nigeria and India. India, already Nigeria’s largest trading partner, has seen substantial investments from over 200 Indian companies operating in Nigeria. Both leaders agreed to finalize pending agreements, including the Economic Cooperation Agreement and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, to foster further trade and investment.
During discussions, India reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s infrastructure needs through concessional lines of credit and technical expertise. The leaders agreed on energy partnerships involving long-term contracts for crude oil and LNG supply, as well as collaboration on renewable energy and transmission security.
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The healthcare sector also took center stage, with India offering to share its CoWIN platform, a digital infrastructure for health management that has been instrumental in India’s vaccination programs. India additionally committed to supplying affordable generic medications to Nigeria, aimed at improving access to essential medicines for vulnerable populations.
In agriculture, Nigeria thanked India for concessions on rice supplies and agreed to cooperate on food security, particularly through the supply of high-yield seeds and advanced farming technology. The two leaders also discussed furthering educational exchanges and cultural collaboration, acknowledging India’s role in Nigerian human resource development through various scholarship programs.
The leaders reinforced their shared commitment to regional security and agreed to support each other’s aspirations within the United Nations, including mutual backing for Security Council reforms. Modi invited Nigeria to join initiatives like the Global Biofuel Alliance and Global Rivers Cities Alliance, while both nations, as members of the International Solar Alliance, pledged to expand their renewable energy footprint.
The joint statement highlighted the deepening ties between Nigeria and India, pointing to a future of enhanced cooperation across multiple domains essential to both nations’ development.
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