New Delhi: Ahead of the G2O summit, Nigerian Ambassador to India Ahmed Sule, in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, on Wednesday said, “G20 is a platform for Nigeria to voice our opinion regarding our national interest and show that to the Global South countries. We will use this joint platform to converge on a common agenda, whereby, we can negotiate with the Global North”.
Hailing India’s G20 presidency Ahmed Sule said, "The current presidency of India has been extraordinarily good and they have set a standard. Brazil who would hold the G20 presidency next year, should do what India did. India has shown leadership and I would thank the government for that."
The Nigerian Ambassador further thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting Nigeria as the guest country for the G20 Summit, adding "India and Nigeria are natural allies and the relations between the two countries have blossomed”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a special invitation to the President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu, as Nigeria considers joining the G20 grouping of major world economies and its membership is still under consideration.
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However, commenting on India pitching G20 membership for the African Union, Sule said, “I would like to thank and appreciate the leadership of India in backing the interest of the African Union to join the G20 bloc, same as European Union”.
The G20 group of countries is likely to soon become the G21, with the induction of the African Union as a member. Fifty-five countries from Africa are members of the Union. India, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20, had proposed including the African Union as a full member and it was announced by PM Narendra Modi just days before the country is set to host the G20 Summit on 9-10 September.
“Nigeria too is looking forward to joining the G20 grouping and the Nigerian President will use the opportunity of the G20 Summit to tell the world that Nigeria has all the qualities to be in the G20. We have been the biggest country in the African continent for the last consecutive five years and the most populous country, therefore, we have all the qualifications to be a part of the G20," he added.
If Nigeria joins the G20 bloc, it would be the second African country after South Africa to join the league of the most industrialized nations in the world. According to the World Bank, Nigeria has the highest GDP in Africa.
