Explained: A brief history of India-Nigeria ties, with PM Modi’s visit

In his speech, the PM noted the “longstanding, humanities relationship betwixt India and Nigeria”, stating that the designation underscored their committedness to the aspirations of the Global South. He besides identified terrorism, separatism, piracy and cause trafficking arsenic large challenges the countries person worked connected together.

We look astatine the past of India-Nigeria ties, Nigeria’s lasting successful the continent and the value of deepening ties amid Chinese beingness successful Africa.

Six decades of India-Nigeria ties

India and Nigeria, with a colonisation of 1.4 cardinal and 220 cardinal respectively, are some large, processing and antiauthoritarian countries with multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual societies. When erstwhile PM Manmohan Singh visited Abuja successful October 2007, the countries raised the presumption of their bilateral narration to a “Strategic Partnership”.

But the ties spell backmost much than 60 years, to erstwhile India established its Diplomatic House successful Lagos successful 1958 – 2 years earlier Nigeria became autarkic of British assemblage regularisation successful 1960. Political contacts astatine the highest level person been maintained since then.

From the 1960s to the ’80s, Indian teachers and doctors played a important relation during the formative years of autarkic Nigeria. India besides established the National Defence Academy successful Kaduna and the Naval War College of Port Harcourt. The 60,000-strong Indian expatriate community, the largest successful West Africa today, adds worth to the long-standing bilateral relationship.

“Nigeria has had a immense and affirmative relation successful Africa. And, adjacent practice with Africa has been a precocious precedence for India,” said PM Modi successful a station connected X.

There is simply a large economical magnitude to the ties arsenic well, with much than 200 Indian companies having invested astir $27 cardinal successful Nigeria’s manufacturing sectors and being the 2nd largest employers aft the Federal Government. India has besides emerged arsenic a improvement spouse connected 2 fronts – by offering developmental assistance done concessional loans ($100 million) and capacity-building grooming programs.

Nigeria’s relation successful Africa

Nigeria is the fastest-growing system successful Africa and has the third-largest manufacturing sector. Its system is the fourth-largest successful the continent and its colonisation the largest, which is wherefore it is referred to arsenic the “Giant of Africa”.

It is besides a founding subordinate of the African Union, a forum having each African countries arsenic its members. Its precursor, the Organisation of African Unity, was established successful 1963 and 1 of its main founders was past Nigerian President Nnamdi Azikiwe. The AU became a imperishable subordinate of the G20 astatine the India-hosted acme past year.

Additionally, Nigeria is simply a subordinate of planetary organisations specified arsenic the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Countering China’s footstep successful Africa

India’s plans to make a person narration with Nigeria besides align with its greater strategical interests successful Africa, wherever China has already made a important imprint. Africa has large resources, including minerals that India needs for sectors similar Electric Vehicles, and is an important subordinate successful the Indian Ocean region.

However, during the past 2 decades, China tremendously expanded commercialized with African countries. In 2012, full commercialized betwixt China and Africa was $128 billion, compared to $100 cardinal betwixt the US and Africa.

Thanks to its economical heft, China heavy funds infrastructure projects specified arsenic roads, railroads, dams, ports, and airports nether its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Presently, China is Africa’s biggest trading partner, with commercialized topping $200 cardinal per year. Over 10,000 Chinese firms are operating passim the continent and the worth of Chinese businesses determination has grown to much than $2 trillion since 2015, with $300 cardinal successful existent investments.

Given these developments and the maturation prospects of Nigeria, India volition proceed its economical and taste investments successful Africa and this volition not beryllium imaginable without Nigeria astatine the centre of it. The PM said astatine the extremity of his visit, “As the saying goes successful Africa: ‘A person is idiosyncratic you stock the way with.’”