By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its longstanding bilateral relations with India, with trade, investment and economic cooperation identified as key areas for deeper collaboration.
The commitment was reiterated during the presentation of Letters of Credence by Nigeria’s new High Commissioner to India, Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on Monday, August 24, 2026.
Muhammad conveyed the warm greetings of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to President Murmu, as well as to the government and people of India, while expressing Nigeria’s appreciation for the cordial relations between the two countries.
The High Commissioner described his appointment as both a privilege and a responsibility to advance Nigeria’s national interests in India, noting that the relationship between both countries extended beyond political and diplomatic engagement to economic, commercial, cultural, educational and people-to-people ties.
He identified the promotion of trade, investment and economic cooperation as major priorities of his tenure, expressing his determination to attract greater Indian investment into Nigeria and facilitate stronger business-to-business partnerships.
Muhammad also expressed Nigeria’s interest in expanding cooperation with India in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, information and communications technology, digital transformation, education and scholarships, infrastructure and skills development.
He further highlighted the importance of stronger collaboration in defence, security and cultural exchanges.
The envoy assured President Murmu of his readiness to work closely with the Indian government, business community, Nigerian stakeholders in India and other partners to translate the longstanding friendship between the two countries into tangible and mutually beneficial outcomes.
He also stressed the importance of a citizen-centred approach to diplomacy that would create opportunities capable of directly improving the lives of Nigerians and Indians.
In her remarks, President Murmu welcomed Muhammad and congratulated him on his appointment, describing Nigeria-India relations as founded on strong historical ties, mutual respect and shared interests.
She particularly underscored the importance of economic relations between the two countries, affirming India’s position as a major business and trading partner of Nigeria.
The Indian President also acknowledged the contributions of Indian businesses and investors to Nigeria’s economic development and called for stronger private-sector engagement between both countries.
The ceremony underscored the depth of Nigeria-India relations and highlighted opportunities for expanding political, economic and commercial partnerships.
It also reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to renewed efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and delivering mutually beneficial outcomes for their citizens.
