Abuja: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, marking the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in 17 years. PM Modi’s three-nation tour, scheduled from November 16 to 21, also includes a visit to Brazil and Guyana. In Brazil, the prime minister will take part in the G20 Summit. 

At the Abuja airport, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The prime minister’s Nigeria visit highlights the importance of strengthening ties between India and Nigeria. 

The members of the Indian diaspora in large numbers welcomed the prime minister at the airport and at the hotel in Abuja. PM Modi greeted the Indian community and interacted with them. 

In a tweet, PM Modi expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and hoped that this visit would deepen the bilateral friendship between the two nations.

During his visit to Nigeria, PM Modi will hold talks to review the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and discuss further issues to strengthen their relationship. He will also likely meet the Indian community in Nigeria during his visit.

Notably, after concluding his visit to Nigeria, PM Modi will head to Brazil to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit as a member of the Troika. The prime minister aims to use this opportunity to exchange views on furthering bilateral cooperation with several other leaders.

The trip will conclude with a historic state visit to Guyana, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in more than 50 years. PM Modi will also attend the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit, where he will meet with leaders from the Caribbean nations.

Earlier, PM Modi said, “At the invitation of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it 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.”