President Bola Tinubu on Sunday conferred the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, on the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi who is on a two-day visit to Abuja to discuss closer bilateral ties.
Tinubu, during the Nigeria/India Bilateral meeting held at the Presidential, Abuja on Sunday, said that the award was bestowed on the Indian leader to signify Nigeria’s appreciation and commitment to the Nigerian Indian partnership.
Tinubu added that the invitation to the Indian PM was to rekindle and reclassify the existing relationship between Nigeria and India.
He also stated that the high level engagement was intended to improve
“Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India, and we work to deepen and broaden the same to 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 historically, winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much.
“I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s National Honor, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger.
”This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner”, Tinubu said.
Modi commiserated with Nigeria over the recent floods that ravaged several cities across the country, including Maiduguri, Borno.
The Indian prime minister promised to give Nigeria with 20 tonnes of relief materials in support of the administration of Tinubu on its ongoing humanitarian efforts.
”We had a very productive discussion with President Tinubu. We talked about adding momentum to our strategic partnership.
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”There is immense scope for ties to flourish even further in sectors like defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education and more,” Modi said.
Both countries also pledged to strengthen ties in key areas including economic development, defence, healthcare and food security, among others.
Specifically, the two leaders agreed to a greater collaboration in counter-terrorism, maritime security, and intelligence sharing, especially with the growing threats in the Gulf of Guinea and the Indian Ocean.
The two countries pledged to continue regular naval exercises and joint anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea to safeguard critical maritime routes.
“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 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 leaders agreed in a joint statement.
Modi reiterated India’s readiness to support Nigeria’s defence modernisation efforts, highlighting India’s emergence as a trusted defence manufacturer.
Similarly, 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 expansion, both leaders directed their officials to finalise pending agreements.
”These include the Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA), Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), to boost trade and investment.
”The fruitification of some of the investments” agreed to by the Indian companies during the visit of President Tinubu to India in September 2023, and committed to facilitating early finalization of the remaining investments.
Credible News recalls that 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 held on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held from September 9th-10th, 2023, in New Delhi.
During the conference, Indian investors pledged a combined total of over $14 billion across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The investments were targeted on industrialisation, energy, telecommunications, and defence sectors
On infrastructure Development, the joint statement added that India reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s development priorities through concessional Lines of credit and technical expertise.
On energy, Nigeria and India agreed on long-term contracts for crude oil and LNG supply and technical support in pipeline transmission security, CNG conversion and LPG bottling distribution.
The two leaders also discussed broader collaboration on food security and agriculture, health, education, and cultural exchanges.
Also, on food security, the leaders agreed that it remains a priority for developing countries especially with bigger populations.
Credible News.ng
