Nigeria and India have reaffirmed their dedication to a sturdy strategic partnership, pledging to strengthen ties in key areas, together with {economic} growth, defence, healthcare and meals safety.
This was contained in a joint assertion issued on Sunday in Abuja on the conclusion of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state go to to Nigeria on the invitation of President Bola Tinubu.
Shortly after the Indian Prime Minister obtained a proper welcome, together with a 21-artillery gun salute on the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu and Prime Minister Modi went right into a tete-a-tete, and later collectively presided over an expanded bilateral and political talks.
Throughout their bilateral dialogue, the 2 leaders, in an announcement by Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, agreed to a larger collaboration in counterterrorism, maritime safety, and intelligence sharing.
With rising threats within the Gulf of Guinea and the Indian Ocean, additionally they agreed to coordinated actions to safeguard maritime commerce routes and fight piracy.
The 2 nations pledged to proceed common naval workout routines and joint anti-piracy operations within the Gulf of Guinea to safeguard vital maritime routes.
”The leaders reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its varieties and manifestations together with the cross-border motion of terrorists and terror financing networks and secure havens.
”They referred to as for zero tolerance to terrorism and expeditious finalization and adoption of the Complete Conference on Worldwide terrorism within the UN Framework in addition to implementation of the UNGA and the UNSC resolutions on countering terrorism and violent extremism.
”It was agreed to reinforce cooperation within the space of counter terrorism,” the joint assertion stated.
Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s readiness to help Nigeria’s defence modernisation efforts, highlighting India’s emergence as a trusted defence producer.
The 2 leaders additionally highlighted the colourful {economic} relationship between India and Nigeria, with India positioned as Nigeria’s largest buying and selling accomplice and a major contributor to its financial system.
Nigeria recommended the contributions of over 200 Indian corporations working within the nation, which have generated substantial employment and funding alternatives.
On bilateral commerce enlargement, each leaders directed their officers to finalise pending agreements, together with the {Economic} Cooperation Settlement (ECA), Double Taxation Avoidance Settlement (DTAA), and the Bilateral Funding Treaty (BIT), to spice up commerce and funding.
They famous with satisfaction ”the fruitification of a few of the investments” agreed to by the Indian corporations through the go to of President Tinubu to India in September 2023, and dedicated to facilitating early finalisation of the remaining investments.
On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held from September 9-10, 2023, in New Delhi, the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Enterprise Convention had taken place, the place Indian traders pledged a mixed whole of over $14 billion throughout vital sectors of the Nigerian financial system.
The investments have been focused on industrialisation, power, telecommunications, and defence sectors
On infrastructure growth, the joint assertion arising from Prime Minister Modi’s state go to, acknowledged that India reaffirmed its dedication to supporting Nigeria’s growth priorities by means of concessional Traces of credit score and technical experience.
On power collaboration, Nigeria and India agreed on long-term contracts for crude oil and LNG provide and technical help in pipeline transmission safety, CNG conversion and LPG bottling distribution.
The 2 leaders additionally mentioned broader collaboration on meals safety and agriculture, well being, schooling, and cultural exchanges.
On meals safety, the leaders agreed that it stays a precedence for growing nations, particularly with larger populations.
”Nigeria thanked India for offering the required concessions searched for within the provide of rice on the time of their want.
”They agreed to reinforce collaboration within the space of agriculture from agricultural equipment, excessive yield seeds to sharing technical experience, know-how and applied sciences and agreed to determine methods of cooperation in these areas.
”The Indian facet thanked the Nigerian facet for supporting the Indian Decision on the UN to declare 2023 because the Worldwide 12 months of Millets and agreed to extend collaboration between India and Nigeria within the space of Millets, ” the joint assertion stated.
On healthcare sector, Nigeria and India pledged to deepen their collaboration, specializing in the institution of hospitals and diagnostic facilities, in addition to the deployment of modern well being administration programs.
Each side acknowledged the continuing efforts by Indian hospitals working in Nigeria and highlighted the huge potential for additional collaboration to reinforce healthcare supply throughout the nation.
The Indian authorities supplied to share its CoWIN digital platform, an open-source well being administration infrastructure that has revolutionized vaccination campaigns and well being information administration in India.
This technique is predicted to help Nigeria’s healthcare system by enhancing the effectivity and accessibility of vaccination packages and different well being initiatives.
The Indian authorities additionally prolonged its dedication to provide high-quality generic pharmaceutical merchandise to Nigeria at economical charges below the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme- a marketing campaign launched by India’s Division of Prescription drugs to supply high quality medicines at inexpensive costs to the plenty.
This initiative is aimed toward making important medicines extra inexpensive, significantly for susceptible populations, and supporting Nigerian public hospital procurement processes.
Nigeria and India reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening collaboration on schooling, cultural exchanges, and fostering sturdy people-to-people contacts, constructing on longstanding historic ties and mutual aspirations.
India was acknowledged as a major accomplice in Nigeria’s human useful resource growth by means of numerous scholarship packages, together with the eVBAB scheme, which facilitates digital studying alternatives.
Each side agreed to work collectively to encourage extra Nigerian college students to leverage these scholarship programmes.
President Tinubu and Prime Minister Modi applauded the colourful cultural and educational exchanges between the 2 nations, which have included visits by cultural troupes, participation in movie and literary festivals, and different collaborative actions.
They underscored the significance of additional widening these exchanges to advertise mutual understanding and shared heritage.
The leaders acknowledged the function of tourism in enhancing people-to-people connections and emphasised the necessity to discover alternatives for selling journey and cultural interplay between Nigeria and India.
On working collectively by means of its membership in worldwide organizations, India recommended Nigeria for its reciprocal help of non-permanent members of the UN Safety Council for 2028-2029.
The 2 nations reiterated their joint dedication to UN Safety Council reform and mutual help for everlasting and non-permanent memberships.
In addition they pledged cooperation on regional peace and safety, significantly in West Africa.
Nigeria ‘took observe’ of India’s invitation to affix the International Biofuel Alliance and International Rivers Cities Alliance.
”As members of Worldwide Photo voltaic Alliance (ISA), each side agreed to accentuate their cooperation in establishing photo voltaic parks and to work in direction of growing the share of the renewable power of their power portfolio,” the joint assertion added.
