New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Nigeria from May 28-30, where he will also attend swearing-in ceremony of Nigeria's President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the West African nation. According to an official release by the Ministry of Defence, Rajnath Singh will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Nigeria's President-elect at Eagle Square in capital city Abuja on May 29.
On May 28, Rajnath Singh will meet the outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari during a reception hosted by him. The visit by Defence Minister is seen an important landmark in building strong bonds of friendship between the two countries.
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Rajnath Singh will be accompanied by senior officials of the Defence Ministry along with top leadership of the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) during his visit considering the growing defence cooperation between India and Nigeria. They will hold meetings with representatives from the Nigerian industry and the Armed Forces to identify the equipment and platforms, through which the Indian defence industry can support the West African country's requirements.
Around 50,000 members of the Indian community live in Nigeria. Rajnath Singh will also address the Indian diaspora at Abuja during his visit.
Earlier on May 8, Rajnath Singh had inaugurated first of its kind Indian Air Force heritage centre in Chandigarh, which was set up following a memorandum of understanding between the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Indian Air Force.
