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Nigeria: Prime Minister Dr. Singh’s Visit
Sunil Dang onboard with PM's
special aircraft
 Trade,
investment and various other bilateral issues are to be discussed
between the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Nigeran
government. The three day visit is aimed at strengthening ties and
opening new vistas for the future. Incidentally, Dr.
Singh, would be the first high-level Indian dignitary to
visit Nigeria after a 1962 visit by the then Indian Premier Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is on a three-day working visit to
Nigeria from
October 14 to 16, 2007. The country's External Affairs
Ministry said that vital issues encompassing trade, investment and
sundry bilateral issues will form the kernel of the visit.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs, spokesman, Navtej Sarna, told DAY
AFTER that the visit became necessary, because
Nigeria's
relationship with India has been flourishing, despite the fact that
there has not been an official visit by any Indian Prime Minister since
1962, adding that the visit will fire up stronger ties.
He recalled that the Indian PM met with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in
the sidelines of the recent G8 meeting in Germany, where they discussed
issues concerning the two countries.
Sarna said there are so many things Nigeria and India can do together in
the area of patnership though, the present trade volume has reached $8
billion.
"We import crude oil, textiles, electrical equipment from Nigeria and
export pharmaceuticals and other products, coupled with co-operations in
the hydro-powers, investment in the downstream oil sector," he said.
According to him, the PM's visit will give impetus to other areas like
investment in refineries, steel, railways, telecom, small scale
industries and defence, where
India
has co-operated with Nigeria in the past.
Also speaking ahead of the PMs visit yesterday, the Nigerian High
Commissioner to
India
Mr. Lawal Dutsin-Ma said that
Nigeria
stands to benefit a lot from
India
in the areas industrialisation citing their ability to transform their
own country and manage their huge population.
He said:"They are able to move their people everywhere, provide constant
electricity, produce automobiles, machine tools and many more".Dutsin-Ma
lamented that the country started on thesame footing with Nigeria but
the latter is still at the drawing board.Relationship between India and
Nigeria has been cordial and friendly underscored by mutual respect and
understanding. At present contentious issues do not exist between the
duo. According to records, India established a diplomaticmission in
Nigeria
in 1958, even before Nigeria became independent in 1960. Both countries
have been in the forefront of the worldwide anti-colonial and
anti-apartheid struggle. Similarities in colonial struggle, ethnic
diversity and geo-political situation have created affinity and mutual
goodwill between the two countries. Both India and Nigeria are members
of UN, NAM, G-15, G-77 and the Commonwealth and have collaborated at
various international organizations. Both share common perspectives on
international political, social and development issues and these have
manifested in various meetings at UN, WTO, etc.Nigeria is strongly
opposed to all forms of terrorism.Traditionally, balance of trade has
been in
Nigeria's
favour, mainly because of large Indian imports of crude oil and the
amount of trade deficit is dependenton the price of oil. Oil constitutes
more than 96% of Indian imports from
Nigeria.
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