New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, will pay an official visit to Nigeria on 22-23 August and address the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC) meeting. Since time immemorial, both India and Africa had maintained close ties with each other, both economically and politically. Africa holds enormous potential, for it is rich with natural resources that are both economically and strategically important. New Delhi has valued the Indo-African ties and is undertaking all measures to improve historical connections with Africa.
During his visit to Abuja, Muraleedharan will pay a courtesy call on Muhammad Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He will also meet Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, and Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Minister of Defence of Nigeria. In addition, MoS will interact with and address a cross-section of members of the Indian diaspora. During the visit, the Minister of State will also address the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC) meeting together with Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President of Nigeria.
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The NIBC was formally launched by Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama during his visit to India in April 2022 for the Raisina Dialogue 2022. India-Nigeria has always enjoyed close and friendly relations which are deep-rooted and multifaceted. The bilateral trade has been growing steadily and registered a record US$ 14.95 billion in 2021-22. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both countries maintained close contact and supported each other in their fight against the pandemic.
The visit of MoS will further the momentum of high-level exchanges and strengthen cooperation with Nigeria, bilaterally and in the multilateral fora. The Minister had earlier visited Nigeria in June 2019 to participate in the celebrations of Democracy Day hosted by Nigeria.
