Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has praised his Indian counterpart, prime minister Narendra Modi, for 25 uninterrupted years in office, describing it as “a rare achievement” in a country with no constitutional cap on the number of terms an individual can serve as prime minister.

Mr Tinubu said the “quarter-century of unbroken leadership” testified to the confidence Indians placed in Mr Modi’s ability to deliver efficient governance.

“Across these 25 years, Prime Minister Modi has led with vision and an unwavering commitment to development,” Mr Tinubu said in a statement on Wednesday. “From the transformation of Gujarat to India’s emergence as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies.”

Mr Modi gained prominence when he became the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001, an office he held until 2014, when his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made him prime minister.

A term as prime minister in India lasts five years, and the BJP has remained in power since 2014, retaining Mr Modi as its leader.

October 7 makes it exactly 25 years since the Indian prime minister rose to political leadership, combining his years as chief minister and India’s prime minister.

Mr Tinubu conferred Nigeria’s highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on the Indian leader during his 2024 visit to Nigeria.

“As Prime Minister Modi marks this remarkable anniversary, I wish him good health, continued strength and every success in the service of the people of India,” Mr Tinubu said.