Recently, the Indian Prime Minister visited the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- It is the first Indian Prime Ministerial visit to the country since Manmohan Singh in 2007.
- The first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Nigeria was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, followed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003.
Key Highlights of the PM Modi Visit to Nigeria
- High Level Discussion: PM Modi met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and held a delegation-level discussion.
- Honor: PM Modi was awarded Nigeria’s national honor, Grand Commander of the Order of Niger, an accolade previously bestowed only upon Late Queen Elizabeth II.
- Outcomes of PM Modi’s Visit
- Strategic Agreement: Six agreements were reached during the visit which would further strengthen the strategic partnership.
- MoUs Signed: Three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the visit.
- Three MoUs are — on Cultural Exchange Programme, Customs Cooperation and Survey Cooperation.
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India-Nigeria Bilateral Relations
- Historical Ties: India established its diplomatic presence in Lagos in 1958, two years before Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
- Economic and Trade Partnership: India is Nigeria’s largest trading partner, while Nigeria is India’s largest trading partner in Africa.
- India heavily imports Nigerian crude oil, making Nigeria a key energy partner.
- Indian investments in Nigeria are valued at $27 billion, with potential for growth.
- Cultural and Educational Exchange: Indian teachers, doctors, and professionals have contributed significantly to Nigerian society.
- Indian movies and cultural products have been popular in Nigeria since the 1970s.
- Indian Diaspora: Nigeria hosts approximately 50,000 Indians, the largest Indian community in West Africa.
- Military Cooperation: India established Nigeria’s National Defence Academy in Kaduna in 1964 and provided military instructors for nearly two decades.
- Around 27,500 Nigerians have received training in India, including in prestigious institutions like the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington.
- Healthcare and Education: India is the top destination for medical care for Nigerians, offering high-quality treatment at affordable costs.
- Maritime and Energy Cooperation
- Security in the Gulf of Guinea has emerged as a new area of collaboration due to potential benefits for maritime security.
- Energy cooperation is vital, as Nigeria supplies 11–12% of India’s crude oil requirements.
Challenges
- Economic Diversification Gaps: Indian relationship with Nigeria is mainly based on the oil export from Nigeria and pharmaceutical and engineering goods from India.
- This lack of diversification increases vulnerability to price and global market trend changes.
- Pending agreements: Critical agreements like Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) have not been concluded which hinders economic collaboration and investment flows.
- Logistical, training, and resource-sharing: India and Nigeria’s defence cooperation face various challenges
- Transport of resources and personnel.
- consistent planning and resource allocation for an effective training program.
- Procuring defence equipment promptly is a hurdle.
- procedural complexities in sharing of technologies and expertise in counter-terrorism.
- Cultural and Educational Exchange: Although the academic exchange is increasing between Nigeria and India, however, Nigeria’s underdeveloped internet infrastructure hinders the full potential of knowledge sharing.
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Way forward
- Boost Trade and Investment: Increase trade by facilitating business delegations and stronger collaboration.
- It can be done by focusing on new investment areas like agriculture, healthcare, energy, and technology.
- Enhance Defence and Security Cooperation: Promote joint maritime operations and counter-terrorism initiatives.
- Promoting Cultural and Educational exchange: India can strengthen its relation with Nigeria by enhancing cultural interactions.
- It can be done through film festivals, academic linkages, and tourism promotion.
- Bilateral Agreements: To increase trade and investment, India and Nigeria should finalise all pending agreements like Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), and Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA).