By Boluwatife Oshadiya
Key Points
- Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with India.
- Talks focused on trade, renewable energy, defence, agriculture, and industrialisation.
- Both countries are preparing for the upcoming BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi.
- Nigeria is seeking increased Indian investment across strategic sectors of the economy.
Main Story
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with India as both countries intensify preparations for major multilateral engagements scheduled to hold in New Delhi later this month.
The commitment was reiterated by Dunoma Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a meeting with Abhishek Singh at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Ahmed commended the long-standing cordial relationship between Nigeria and India and stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in key sectors ahead of the 2026 India-Africa Forum Summit.
Ahmed described both nations as strategic partners bound by shared democratic ideals, South-South cooperation objectives, and mutual aspirations for sustainable economic development.
He noted that the forthcoming BRICS engagements and India-Africa Forum Summit would provide an important platform for strengthening multilateral cooperation among developing economies amid shifting global economic and geopolitical dynamics.
The Nigerian government also reiterated its interest in attracting more Indian investments into critical sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, technology, and local value addition.
Ahmed further called for stronger collaboration in the area of security and counter-terrorism, particularly through technological partnerships, intelligence sharing, and defence capacity development.
India Seeks Deeper Strategic Engagement
Earlier during the meeting, Singh briefed Nigerian officials on preparations for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to hold from May 14 to 15 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
He also highlighted preparations for the India-Africa Forum Summit, which is expected to bring together African leaders, policymakers, and senior government officials to discuss trade, infrastructure, climate cooperation, digital transformation, and development financing.
According to Singh, Nigeria remains a key pillar in India’s diplomatic and economic engagement strategy in Africa due to its economic size, regional influence, and strategic importance on the continent.
Nigeria, as a BRICS partner country and a major stakeholder in Africa, occupies a strategic place in India’s foreign policy engagement with the continent, Singh said.
The Government of India looks forward to Nigeria’s active participation at the meetings and in deepening cooperation between both countries in areas of trade, renewable energy, defence, industrialisation, agriculture, and technology.
Renewable Energy, Trade Relations Gain Momentum
India and Nigeria have maintained growing economic relations over the years, particularly in energy, healthcare, telecommunications, and manufacturing.
India is currently among Nigeria’s largest trading partners in Asia, with bilateral trade volumes running into billions of dollars annually. Several Indian companies also operate across Nigeria in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, steel production, automotive assembly, consumer goods, and information technology.
Singh also highlighted ongoing collaborations under the International Solar Alliance and the Africa Solar Facility initiative, both aimed at accelerating renewable energy access and clean energy investments across African countries.
The Indian envoy disclosed that discussions are ongoing regarding new renewable energy investments and broader development partnerships targeted at supporting Nigeria’s energy transition goals and industrial growth agenda.
What’s Next
Nigeria is expected to participate actively in the upcoming BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, where discussions will likely focus on strengthening economic integration, development financing, energy transition, food security, and strategic partnerships among developing nations.
The engagements are also expected to open new channels for bilateral trade expansion, investment inflows, and technology transfer between Nigeria and India.
