Last update:November 17, 2024, 6:57 p.m. IST

Modi’s visit to Nigeria is the first visit by an Indian prime minister in 17 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu meet in Abuja, Nigeria. (IMAGE: NARENDRA MODI/X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held in-depth talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, focusing on strengthening the India-Nigeria partnership in a range of areas, including trade, investment and digital public infrastructure.

In his opening speech, he addressed the host with the Yoruba phrase Mid ore which translates to My friend and offered condolences to those affected by the recent floods in the country and said India would send 20 tonnes of relief materials to the affected people.

Modi arrived in the Nigerian capital on Sunday morning in the first trip to the West African country by an Indian prime minister after a 17-year gap.

The Prime Minister was ceremonially welcomed at the presidential villa, following which he had a one-on-one meeting with Tinubu.

“I am happy to have visited Nigeria at the start of my third term. I am happy that under India’s presidency of the G20, Nigeria has been granted guest country status and the African Union has become a permanent member of the group,” Prime Minister Modi said.

“We prioritize our strategic partnership with Nigeria. Defense, energy, finance, health, education and culture are among the many sectors in which India and Nigeria cooperate, with new avenues opening up as our relationship deepens. he added.

He also said India and Nigeria were jointly tackling the challenges posed by terrorism, separatism, piracy and drug trafficking. He also thanked the Nigerian government for acting as a “custodian” of the 60,000-strong Indian community living in the country.

“President Tinubu recognized India’s efforts to amplify the concerns of developing countries through the Voice of the Global South summits. The two leaders agreed to work together to meet the development aspirations of countries in the South,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

“(The Nigerian government) made a special gesture by handing over the key to Abuja city Prime Minister Modi at the airport,” said Dammu Ravi, a senior foreign ministry official.

He further added that Prime Minister Modi expressed sympathy over the recent floods in Nigeria and dedicated the honor conferred on him by President Tinubu to the Indo-Nigerian friendship and the people of India. He also discussed regional and global issues during his interactions with Nigerian leaders.

Modi is in Nigeria as part of a three-country tour. From Abuja, he will travel to Brazil to attend the G20 summit. His last destination will be Guyana.

Relations between India and Nigeria were elevated to the status of “strategic partnership” during the visit of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the African country in October 2007.

Nigeria has been a close partner of India for over six decades.

New Delhi established its Diplomatic House in Lagos in November 1958, two years before Nigeria became independent in 1960.

The presence of a large Indian expatriate community of around 60,000 people, the largest in West Africa, adds value to the importance of the long-standing relationship between the two countries.

There are more than 200 Indian companies that have invested around $27 billion in all major manufacturing sectors and these companies are the second largest employer after the federal government, according to Indian officials.

India has become a development partner of Nigeria on two fronts: by offering development assistance in the form of concessional loans ($100 million) and by offering training programs for capacity building.