HINDUSTAN TIMES
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will be on a three-day official visit to Nigeria from May 28 to May 30 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the west African nation’s next President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and hold talks with Nigerian officials to identify military hardware that can be exported, the defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
This is the first time that an Indian defence minister is visiting Nigeria. The visit comes in the backdrop of India deepening its engagement with African countries and taking steps to tap the defence markets there.
Singh will attend the swearing-in ceremony at Eagle Square in Abuja on May 29, and meet the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari at a reception on Sunday, the statement said. The visit will be an important landmark in building strong bonds of friendship between the two countries, it said.
“Considering the growing defence cooperation between India and Nigeria, senior officers of Ministry of Defence and top leadership of important defence PSUs will accompany Shri Rajnath Singh. They will hold meetings with the representatives from the Nigerian industry and the Armed Forces to identify the equipment and platforms, through which the Indian defence industry can support the country’s requirements,” the statement added…
