Nigeria and India have taken another step towards strengthening their long-standing strategic partnership as a high-level delegation from the National Defence College (NDC), India, embarks on a geo-strategic tour of Nigeria.

The 14-member delegation, led by Anvita Sinha, comprises senior military and civil service officers, alongside participants from Egypt, Morocco, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan.

The visit, holding from June 1 to June 5, is aimed at deepening defence diplomacy and fostering collaboration in addressing shared security challenges.

Nigeria and India share a long history of defence cooperation dating back to the post-independence era, when India supported the establishment of key military institutions, including the Nigerian Defence Academy and the Naval College in Port Harcourt.

This relationship evolved into a robust partnership, anchored on the Abuja Declaration, covering defence, trade and strategic cooperation.

During the visit, the delegation held high-level engagements across Nigeria’s defence, foreign policy and economic sectors.

At the Ministry of Defence, the team was briefed on Nigeria’s Defence Policy and held discussions with the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, on expanding bilateral defence cooperation.

The delegation also visited Defence and Service Headquarters, where talks with senior military officers focused on training, capacity building and operational collaboration.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Secretary, Dunoma Ahmed, emphasised sustained bilateral engagement in tackling evolving geopolitical and security challenges.

Recognising the link between security and economic stability, the delegation, accompanied by India’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh, also met with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of State, Doris Uzoka-Anite.

Discussions centred on Nigeria’s development priorities, economic reforms and sustainable growth, highlighting the importance of aligning defence cooperation with economic progress.

Both countries face similar security threats, including terrorism, insurgency, maritime insecurity, cybercrime and transnational organised crime—areas where enhanced collaboration is expected to yield mutual benefits.

As leading voices in the Global South, Nigeria and India continue to work together on regional and global security issues.

The visit underscores a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in defence, diplomacy and development in pursuit of mutual prosperity and regional stability. 

(NAN)