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).

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