Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down in the city of Abuja in Nigeria on the first leg of his three-nation visit that kicked off on Saturday.
The Prime Minister arrived to an enthusiastic crowd that received him with a grand welcome.
PM Modi was warmly welcomed by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Minister for Federal Capital Territory upon his arrival in Abuja, the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Wike presented PM Modi with the ‘Key to the City’ of Abuja. The key symbolises the trust and honour bestowed on the PM by the people of Nigeria.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions in Nigeria to strengthen the ties between both countries.
In a post on X, PM Modi emphasised the aim of his visit to deepen the bilateral friendship between both nations.
“Landed a short while ago in Nigeria. Grateful for the warm welcome. May this visit deepen the bilateral friendship between our nations,” PM Modi said.
President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu also highlighted strengthening the bilateral ties as he expressed his anticipation of welcoming PM Modi to Nigeria.
“I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first visit to Nigeria, which is also the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to our dear country since 2007. Our bilateral discussions will seek to expand the strategic partnership between both countries and enhance cooperation in critical sectors,” Tinubu said in a post on X.
The Indian diaspora was buzzing with excitement upon the arrival of PM Modi. Several members of the diaspora were seen holding Indian flags and chanting — ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ with palpable excitement.
“We are very enthusiastic to meet our PM. This is his maiden visit to Nigeria. We welcome him,” Girish Jaikar, a member of Indian diaspora told ANI.
“An Indian PM is coming to Nigeria after 15 years. We are very energetic and enthusiastic. We have a lot of hope from PM Modi because India-Nigeria ties need to be improved. We hope that his visit will give a fruitful result,” Ramesh Malik, another member of the Indian diaspora, said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-nation tour to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana scheduled from November 17 to November 21.
PM Modi issued a statement indicating his first stop in Nigeria, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s invitation, aimed at strengthening strategic ties between both countries.
“At the invitation of 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 said.
PM Modi will be heading to Brazil for the 19th G20 Summit, scheduled to take place from November 18 to 19. As a Troika member, India will play a significant role in shaping the agenda, building on the momentum from its own G20 presidency. Brazil is expected to maintain the focus on Global South priorities, ensuring continuity and progress on key issues.
PM Modi’s final destination is Guyana, where he’ll make history as the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in over five decades. During his visit, PM Modi will address the Guyanese Parliament and pay respects to the Indian diaspora, who migrated to Guyana over 185 years ago.
