India’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh, has said that the forthcoming India-Africa Forum Summit will strengthen economic and technological partnerships between India and Africa.

Mr Singh disclosed this during a news briefing on Thursday in Abuja, noting that the Summit, scheduled to hold in New Delhi on May 31, was returning after a decade-long hiatus.

He said the summit’s reopening would provide a platform for African leaders and India to strengthen cooperation in security, political dialogue, trade, development and people-to-people exchanges.

“This is the fourth edition of the India-Africa Forum Summit, and it is happening after a hiatus of 10 years. The last edition was in 2015. In the last 10 years, both Africa as a continent and India as a country have undergone transformational positive changes.

“So this is the right time for leaders of Africa and India to engage in a structured and apex-level interaction,” he said.

According to him, the summit will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the venue that hosted the 2023 G20 Summit. He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited President Bola Tinubu to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the summit.

Mr Singh noted that Nigeria was central to India’s engagement with Africa, given its democratic credentials, economic size, and growing market potential.

“Nigeria is Africa’s largest democracy and one of the largest economies in Africa and worldwide. This summit will provide a unique opportunity for African businessmen to explore new areas of cooperation,” he said.

Mr Singh said trade between India and Nigeria currently stood between eight and nine billion dollars annually, but noted that both countries still had significant untapped opportunities.

“We are doing fairly well, but there is immense potential,” he said.

He said both governments were already discussing market access issues affecting some agricultural commodities and exports.

Moreover, Singh said India remained committed to supporting digital partnerships with Nigeria and other African countries.

“India is globally known to be a strong power in information technology and ICT. We place a lot of importance on digital public infrastructure, including digital payments and the use of ICT in education and development,” he said.

The high commissioner also highlighted the growing cultural ties between India and Nigeria, noting that Nigerian Afrobeat stars such as Wizkid and Davido have become increasingly popular in India.

He added that Indian films and culture continued to enjoy widespread acceptance across Nigeria, especially in the North.

“Culture acts as a bridge between countries and peoples,” he said.

Mr Singh said side events lined up for the summit included music and dance festivals, track-two diplomatic engagements and business forums aimed at strengthening India-Africa collaboration beyond government relations.

“This is not only a diplomatic gathering. It is a gathering of ideas and vision on how India and Africa can strengthen a long-standing partnership,” he said.

(NAN)