Nigeria, India to deepen trade, military partnership

Nigeria and India have reaffirmed their commitment to a robust strategic partnership.

The two countries also pledged to strengthen ties in key areas – economic development, defence, healthcare and food security.

The countries made the new agreements known through a joint statement at the end of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Nigeria at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s invitation.

The Indian PM, who arrived on Saturday night and was welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, was received at the forecourt of Aso Villa yesterday morning by the President.

He was treated to full military parade followed with a 21-gun salute before going into the bilateral meeting with President Tinubu.

During the talks, the two leaders agreed to a greater collaboration in counterterrorism, maritime security, and intelligence sharing.

The two countries, according to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, will continue regular naval exercises and joint anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea to safeguard critical maritime routes.

The statement partly reads: ‘’The leaders reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the cross-border movement of terrorists and terror financing networks and safe havens.

‘’They called for zero tolerance to terrorism and expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN Framework as well as the implementation of the UNGA and the UNSC resolutions on countering terrorism and violent extremism.

‘’It was agreed to enhance cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism.’’

The Prime Minister reiterated India’s readiness to support Nigeria’s defence modernisation efforts, highlighting his country’s emergence as a trusted defence equipment manufacturer.

The two leaders also highlighted the vibrant economic relationship between India and Nigeria, with India positioned as Nigeria’s largest trading partner and a significant contributor to its economy.

Nigeria commended the contributions of over 200 Indian companies operating in the country, which have generated substantial employment and investment opportunities.

On bilateral trade, both leaders directed their officials to finalise pending agreements, including the Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA), Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), and the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), to boost trade and investment.

They noted with satisfaction ‘’the fruits of some of the investments’’ agreed to by the Indian companies during Tinubu’s visit to India in September last year. They stressed the need for early finalisation of the remaining investments.

On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held from September 9th-10th, 2023, in New Delhi, the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Business Conference took place, where Indian investors pledged a combined total of over $14 billion across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The investments were targeted at industrialisation, energy, telecommunications, and defence sectors

On infrastructure, India reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s development priorities through concessional lines of credit and technical expertise.

In the area of energy , Nigeria and India agreed on long-term contracts for crude oil and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supply and technical support in pipeline transmission security, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion and Liquified Natural Gas (LPG) bottling distribution.

The two leaders also discussed broader collaboration on food security and agriculture, health, education, and cultural exchanges.

On food security, the leaders agreed that it remains a priority for developing countries, especially with bigger populations.

‘’Nigeria thanked India for providing the necessary concessions sought for in the supply of rice at the time of their need.

The joint statement further reads; ‘’They agreed to enhance collaboration in the area of agriculture from agricultural machinery, high yield seeds to sharing technical expertise, know-how and technologies and agreed to identify ways of cooperation in these areas.

‘’The Indian side thanked the Nigerian side for supporting the Indian Resolution at the UN to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets and agreed to increase collaboration between India and Nigeria in the area of millets. ‘’

On the healthcare sector, Nigeria and India pledged to deepen their collaboration focusing on the establishment of hospitals and diagnostic centres, as well as the deployment of innovative health management systems.

Both sides acknowledged the ongoing efforts by Indian hospitals operating in Nigeria and highlighted the vast potential for further collaboration to enhance healthcare delivery across the country.

The Indian government offered to share its CoWIN digital platform, an open-source health management infrastructure that has revolutionised vaccination campaigns and health data management in India.

This system is expected to support Nigeria’s health sector by improving the efficiency and accessibility of vaccination programmes and other initiatives.

The Indian government also extended its commitment to supply high-quality generic pharmaceutical products to Nigeria at economical rates under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme.

PMBJP is a campaign launched by India’s Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses.

Nigeria and India are also committed to strengthening collaboration on education, cultural exchanges, and fostering strong people-to-people contacts, building on longstanding historical ties and mutual aspirations.

India was acknowledged by the Nigerian side as a significant partner in Nigeria’s human resource development through scholarship programmes, including the e-VBAB scheme, which facilitates virtual learning opportunities.

Both sides agreed to work together to encourage more Nigerian students to leverage these scholarship programmes.

President Tinubu and Prime Minister Modi applauded the vibrant cultural and academic exchanges between their nations, which have included visits by cultural troupes, participation in film and literary festivals, and other collaborative activities.

They underscored the importance of widening these exchanges to promote mutual understanding and shared heritage.

The leaders recognized the role of tourism in enhancing people-to-people connections and emphasized the need to explore opportunities for promoting travel and cultural interaction between Nigeria and India.

The two countries reiterated their commitment to UN Security Council reform and mutual support for permanent and non-permanent memberships.

They also pledged cooperation on regional peace and security, particularly in West Africa.

Nigeria ‘took note’ of India’s invitation to join the Global Biofuel Alliance and Global Rivers Cities Alliance.

‘’As members of International Solar Alliance (ISA), both sides agreed to intensify their cooperation in establishing solar parks and to work towards increasing the share of the renewable energy in their energy portfolio,’’ the statement said.

During the opening of the talks, President Tinubu conferred national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Prime Minister Modi.

The President described the honour as a gesture of Nigeria’s appreciation and commitment to India as a worthy partner. He praised India for “standing side by side” with Nigeria on many fronts for many decades.

‘’We hope that this will spur renewed cooperation between Nigeria and India in all sectors and also ensure joint collaboration to maintain and strengthen our relations,’’ Tinubu said.

The President praised the ties between Nigeria and India, citing high-level engagements and partnerships across various sectors.

Tinubu said: ‘’Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India and we hope to broaden and deepen the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries.

‘’You represent a very strong commitment in democratic values and norms. You have been doing a good job in three consecutive elections in a complex society. It is a feat that we respect so much.

‘’Your transformative leadership, working hard to transform the economy and place India on the top ladder of transformative form of governance is a good example of democratic values that we should continue to share, cherish, and promote for the economic development of our people.

‘’Although your current visit is very short, I am sure you will notice that like India, Nigeria is unique in many ways but shares similarities with your great country in terms of diversity and development experience.

‘’These have become our sources of strength, and unity as well as the visions we share for a greater and a better future for our countries and our people. ‘’

Modi was later decorated with the honour during a working lunch attended by members of the Nigerian and Indian delegations.

The Prime Minister dedicated the honour to the 1.4 billion citizens of India and the deep friendship between his country and Nigeria.

Modi said: ‘’This honour will continue to inspire us to take the India-Nigeria strategic partnership to new heights.

‘’The relations between India and Nigeria are based on mutual cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect.

‘’As two vibrant democracies and dynamic economies, we will continue to work for the benefit of our people,’’

The prime minister identified the social and cultural diversities of the two nations as sources of strength. He noted that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Develop India 2047 share many common aspirations.

Recalling President Tinubu’s visit to India in September 2023, Modi said his own state visit would further strengthen and expand the partnership between both countries.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality provided by the Nigerian government.

He described the 60,000 Indian community in Nigeria as an important link between the two countries.

Modi added: ‘’Nigeria has played a very important and positive role in Africa and for India, deepening our relations with Africa has been a very high priority.

‘’In all our efforts, we have always tried to work with friendly countries like Nigeria.

‘’As it is said in Africa, a friend is someone you share with. India and Nigeria will work together to advance the interests of our people and the African continent.

‘’Through close coordination and working together, we will advance the interests and priorities of the Global South,’’ he said.

Modi announced the dispatch of 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Nigeria to support flood relief efforts.

He commended President Tinubu’s leadership, which he said has elevated Nigeria’s role on the global stage.

‘’I am very pleased that during India’s Presidency last year, Nigeria participated in the G20 Summit for the first time as a guest country,’’ he said.

He welcomed Nigeria’s recent recognition as a partner country in BRICS, and the African Union’s induction into the G-20.