Former Indian ambassador to Nigeria writes: Potential of Nigeria-India cooperation is vast — build on that

A R Ghanashyam

The archetypal ever high-level enactment of the 2 countries aft Nigeria became autarkic was successful 1962 betwixt Jawaharlal Nehru and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa successful Lagos. When Nehru enquired successful what mode the 2 countries tin cooperate for communal benefit, Tafava Baleva conveyed, “Nigeria is simply a two-year-old toddler federation and India is 15 years aged teen with contented and experience. There is simply a large colonisation successful Nigeria which needs wellness care. It has galore patients but nary doctors and hospitals. There is simply a ample young colonisation which indispensable beryllium educated but nary schools and teachers. Roads and bridges indispensable beryllium built and railways request to beryllium acceptable up, but determination are nary managers and engineers. We person a authorities to tally but nary trained civilian servants.” Nehru responded with a smile, saying, “you mean Nigeria needs practically everything.” On Nehru’s return, the Indian authorities enactment unneurotic a squad to assistance Nigeria. By the precocious Sixties, determination were tens of thousands of Indian experts stationed successful antithetic parts of Nigeria.

When I presented my credentials arsenic the caller High Commissioner of India to past Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan successful 2014, helium said, “High Commissioner, an full procreation of Nigerians were taught by Indian teachers, treated by Indian doctors and they grew up wearing Indian apparel and watching Indian movies. And I indispensable archer you wherever you spell successful Nigeria you volition find that your state has tremendous goodwill.” I did question the magnitude and breadth of Nigeria successful my tenure successful Abuja and recovered the president’s connection to beryllium an undeniable truth.

Nigeria, with 233 cardinal inhabitants today, accounts for 16 per cent of Africa’s population. With a median property of 19.3 years, the state has a large work successful ensuring wellness and acquisition services and employment opportunities for its youth. Nigeria feels India tin beryllium a large spouse successful this endeavour. For galore years, Nigeria was the largest trading spouse of India successful Africa. Trade has declined successful caller years due to the fact that India whitethorn person replaced immoderate Nigerian saccharine crude lipid with cheaper Russian oil. There are 200-odd Indian companies successful Nigeria which employment the 2nd largest concern labour unit successful the country, adjacent lone to the national and authorities governments. The Indian concern successful Nigeria is valued astatine $27 billion. There is scope for more.

When Nigeria attained its independence, the UK and France some were keen to acceptable up Nigeria’s subject grooming institutions. Nigerian leaders nevertheless opted for India, and it was the Indian Army that established the National Defence Academy successful Kaduna successful 1964. Indian instructors stayed connected successful Kaduna for adjacent to 2 decades astatine the petition of Nigeria. Nigerian instructors started taking implicit from Indian instructors towards the extremity of the 1970s.

There are astir 27,500 Nigerians trained successful India, astir fractional of them successful subject institutions. These are our imperishable envoys successful the country. Two Nigerian trainees from Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) successful Wellington, India — Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari — were some astatine the helm of affairs of Nigeria arsenic subject rulers and arsenic democratically elected presidents. India offers 250 civilian and 250 defence slots nether the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) each year.

India is the apical destination for aesculapian attraction for Nigerians. The state is charismatic due to the fact that of competent doctors, galore well-endowed hospitals and affordable fees. With precocious restored aerial question services betwixt the 2 countries, logistics has besides improved. There is immense imaginable for Nigeria-India cooperation. Hopefully the caller MoUs signed during PM Modi’s sojourn volition assistance determination successful that direction.

Nigeria has the 4th largest lasting service successful Africa. But premier defence institutions successful India similar the National Defence College, New Delhi and the DSSC successful Wellington springiness 1 spot each per state annually; Nigeria besides gets 1 seat. This indispensable beryllium increased. Nigeria has been engaged successful warring the Boko Haram insurgency for astir 2 decades and it believes that India tin beryllium the perfect spouse to usher it. Nigerians person besides shown involvement successful Indian subject equipment. These opportunities are worthy taking a superior look at.

It makes consciousness for Indian companies to acceptable up hospitals and wellness centres successful Nigeria truthful that lone the superior patients who request surgical interventions request to beryllium referred here. There are besides opportunities successful education.

To further amended commercialized and investment, it would beryllium utile if an India-Nigeria Business Council is formed betwixt the apical 4 oregon 5 concern houses from each state to research avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation.

The writer is erstwhile High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria