GS Paper - II

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nigeria, ahead of his visit to Brazil for the G20 Leaders Summit. The trip to the African nation was the first by an Indian prime minister in 17 years.

Nigeria’s second-highest national award – the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger – was conferred on PM Modi at a ceremony in the capital Abuja, “for his statesmanship and stellar contribution to fostering India-Nigeria ties. He thus became the first foreign leader to receive the award since 1969.

Six decades of India-Nigeria ties

• India and Nigeria, with a population of 1.4 billion and 220 million respectively, are both large, developing and democratic countries with multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual societies.
• When former PM Manmohan Singh visited Abuja in October 2007, the countries raised the status of their bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership”.
• But the ties go back more than 60 years, to when India established its Diplomatic House in Lagos in 1958 – two years before Nigeria became independent of British colonial rule in 1960. Political contacts at the highest level have been maintained since then.
• From the 1960s to the ’80s, Indian teachers and doctors played a crucial role during the formative years of independent Nigeria.
• India also established the National Defence Academy in Kaduna and the Naval War College of Port Harcourt.
• The 60,000-strong Indian expatriate community, the largest in West Africa today, adds value to the long-standing bilateral relationship.

Nigeria’s role in Africa

• Nigeria is the fastest-growing economy in Africa and has the third-largest manufacturing sector.
• Its economy is the fourth-largest in the continent and its population the largest, which is why it is referred to as the “Giant of Africa”.
• It is also a founding member of the African Union, a forum having all African countries as its members.
• Its precursor, the Organisation of African Unity, was established in 1963 and one of its main founders was then Nigerian President Nnamdi Azikiwe. The AU became a permanent member of the G20 at the India-hosted summit last year.
• Additionally, Nigeria is a member of international organisations such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Countering China’s footstep in Africa

• India’s plans to develop a closer relationship with Nigeria also align with its greater strategic interests in Africa, where China has already made a significant imprint.
• Africa has major resources including minerals that India needs for sectors like Electric Vehicles, and is an important player in the Indian Ocean region.
• However, during the last two decades, China tremendously expanded trade with African countries. In 2012, total trade between China and Africa was $128 billion, compared to $100 billion between the US and Africa.
• Presently, China is Africa’s biggest trading partner, with trade topping $200 billion per year.