New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Nigeria marks a historic moment in the relationship between the two nations. On November 16, Modi, who is set to be on his way to Brazil for the G 20 summit, will spend a day in Nigeria, which is a part of Global South.
As the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria in 17 years, the visit underscores India’s growing focus on deepening its strategic partnership with Africa's most populous nation and one of its key geopolitical players.
Why is this visit by PM Modi to Nigeria so special?
This will be the first visit by a Prime Minister of India to Nigeria in 17 years. During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold talks to review the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and discuss further avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship. He will also address a gathering of the Indian community in Nigeria. India and Nigeria have been strategic partners since 2007 with growing economic, energy and defence collaboration. More than 200 Indian companies have invested over USD 27 billion in important sectors in Nigeria. India and Nigeria also share a strong development cooperation partnership.
In a conversation with ETV Bharat, Acting Director of the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg, Prof Siphamandla Zondi, said, “The relationship between India and Nigeria is not just important; it is essential for fostering deeper ties between India and the African continent as a whole. This partnership has experienced remarkable growth in economic, trade, and investment areas, along with meaningful political dialogue. Both nations have engaged in multiple discussions leading to significant areas of agreement, showcasing the absence of major obstacles and a wealth of opportunities. Trade with Nigeria stands out, as it is one of Africa’s largest and most advanced economies. The competitive advantages shared between Nigeria and India are significant, indicating that their collaboration is poised for even greater expansion”.
“Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to Nigeria can further amplify these economic relations, where the potential is enormous. In addition to economic ties, social and cultural connections are thriving, with many Nigerian students studying in India and several Nigerian universities collaborating with their Indian counterparts. These deep-rooted cultural relationships will further facilitate growth in the future as Nigeria seeks to diversify its international partnerships, moving beyond traditional reliance on Western economies to forge stronger ties with critical partners like India and China”, the professor pointed out.
“At the centre of this partnership is a focus on trade and investment, particularly in vital sectors such as mining, mineral resources, critical minerals, consumer goods, agriculture, and energy, including oil. Furthermore, India serves as a key supplier of pharmaceuticals for Nigeria and other African nations. The potential for growth in these sectors is vast, making the India-Nigeria relationship one of the most promising on the continent”, he added.
Why is India-Nigeria relations important in the changing world?
Professor Zondi further explained that an Indian PM visit to Nigeria in 17 years, happens in the context of growing Africa-India cooperation with India being one of Africa's biggest trade partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion annually. India exports pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, and machinery while importing natural resources, such as crude oil and precious metals, from Africa.
“Indian investments in Africa have been steadily rising, particularly in sectors like energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. India is also increasingly involved in Africa’s infrastructure projects, contributing to roads, railways, and telecommunications development. India is heavily invested in Africa’s energy sector, given its dependence on imported energy sources. African nations like Nigeria, Angola, and Mozambique are key suppliers of oil and gas to India. India has provided extensive development assistance to African countries, focusing on capacity building, infrastructure development, healthcare, and education. Initiatives include lines of credit, grants, and skill development programs”, said the Professor.
During a special media briefing here in New Delhi on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that in Nigeria, PM Modi will have a one-on-one meeting with President Tinubu and hold delegation-level talks to review bilateral ties. They will explore ways to expand and enhance the relationship. The two sides will also sign five agreements for cooperation in culture, geological surveys, digital public infrastructure and customs.
India-Nigeria bilateral relations
In Oct 2007 Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India visited Nigeria. During this visit both countries raised the status of bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership’. The diplomatic relations have transformed from “Historical Friendship” to “Strategic Partnership”. India, with a population of 1.4 billion, and Nigeria, over 220 million, are large developing and democratic countries with multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multilingual societies. India as the largest democracy in the world and Nigeria as the largest in Africa, became natural partners.
India established its Diplomatic House in Lagos in November 1958, two years before Nigeria became independent in 1960. Political contacts at the highest level have been maintained for more than 60 years now. Throughout the decades from 60s to 80s teachers and doctors from India played a crucial role during the formative years of Nigeria. This extended to defence training as well, through the establishment of National Defence Academy, Kaduna and Naval War College, Port Harcourt by Indian military officers. A generation of Nigerians today in their forties to sixties have been taught by Indian teachers and treated by Indian doctors. India is a preferred destination for Nigerians for both education and medical treatment.
The presence of a large Indian expatriate community of about 60,000, 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 who have invested about USD 27 billion in all important manufacturing sectors and these companies are the second largest employers after the Federal Government. India has emerged as a development partner of Nigeria in two fronts –by offering developmental assistance through concessional loans (USD 100 million) and by offering capacity building training programmes.
India has been supporting Nigeria’s efforts in capacity building under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. Every year India offers about 250 civilian and 250 defense training slots under ITEC/e-ITEC to Nigeria. Since the 1970s around 27500 Nigerians have benefitted from ITEC. Various other scholarships are also available by Nigerian students under India-Africa Forum Summit, ICCR, CV Raman Hindi scholarship, e-Vidya Bharati and e-Arogya Bharati (eVBAB) etc.
Nigeria is one of India's largest trading partners in Africa, with bilateral trade exceeding $14 billion covering sectors such as oil and gas exports from Nigeria and imports of machinery, pharmaceuticals, and textiles from India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana from 16-21 November.
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