Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Nigeria’s prestigious ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger’ (GCON) award. Expressing his gratitude, he stated, “Honoured to be conferred with the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger’ Award by Nigeria. I accept it with great humility and dedicate it to the people of India.”
The GCON is Nigeria’s second-highest national honor, typically reserved for the Vice President and other distinguished individuals. Notably, Queen Elizabeth II was the only foreign dignitary to receive this honor in 1969.
Honoured to be conferred with the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger’ Award by Nigeria. I accept it with great humility and dedicate it to the people of India. https://t.co/AyQ6v4EotH
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 17, 2024
Nigeria on Sunday conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first official visit to the country.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu honoured PM Modi during the bilateral meeting held at Abuja’s Aso Rock Villa which serves as the office and residence of the Nigerian Presidency.
“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,” said Tinubu.
“I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s National Honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner,” he added.
Notably, the only foreign dignitary to have previously received the award was Queen Elizabeth in 1969.
Had a very productive discussion with President Tinubu. We talked about adding momentum to our strategic partnership. There is immense scope for ties to flourish even further in sectors like defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education and more. @officialABAT pic.twitter.com/2i4JuF9CkX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 17, 2024
