An action packed visit begins!
PM @narendramodi emplanes on a 3 nation visit to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana.
On the first leg of his visit, PM will be visiting Nigeria, which is the first visit by an Indian PM to 🇳🇬 in 17 years. In Brazil, PM will be participating in the G20… pic.twitter.com/MdE4jbsemU
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 16, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for a five-day visit to Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana on Saturday. He will be on his three-nation tour from 16 to 21 November and will also attend the G20 Summit in Brazil during his travels.
According to the official communique, PM Modi will visit Nigeria first, followed by Brazil and then Guyana.
“At the invitation of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this will be my first visit to Nigeria, which is our close partner in the West African region. My visit will be an opportunity to build upon our Strategic Partnership that is based on shared belief in democracy and pluralism. I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm welcome messages in Hindi,” the statement read.
Is India pushing African relations higher up the diplomatic agenda? Just last week, President Droupadi Murmu concluded a three-nation tour of Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Abuja this weekend, returning the compliment of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu‘s trip to India for the G20 meetings in September 2023.
“I’d say that political ties are gaining momentum because the economic agents have been persistent,” says Veda Vaidyanathan, associate fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress based in New Delhi.
“Beyond the emerging political relationship, there is a lot of energy in increasing India-Africa trade and investments, but also stepping up as a developmental partner,” she says. “This is something that sets the Indian engagement apart.”
