‘Why Modi Invited Tinubu To BRICS Summit In India’

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has invited President Bola Tinubu to the BRICS Leaders’ Summit scheduled to hold in New Delhi from September 12 to 13.

Naija News reports that the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh, disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.

Singh said Nigeria’s participation in the summit was important because of its economic and demographic significance in Africa and globally.

“President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has been invited to the BRICS Summit, which is going to take place in New Delhi in a few weeks from now, and we are very hopeful that the honourable president of Nigeria will be leading a high-powered delegation for the BRICS Summit very soon,” he said.

Explaining the importance of Nigeria’s participation as a BRICS partner country, Singh said, “Why do we feel that Nigeria’s participation as a BRICS partner country is important? Because as Africa’s largest economy and one of the most populous nations in the world now, Nigeria as a partner country brings immense strategic importance.”

The envoy said India and Nigeria had continued to support each other at international forums, including their mutual aspirations for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

He also disclosed that about 60,000 Indians currently live in Nigeria, noting that many of them had become deeply integrated into Nigerian society, with some families now in their second and third generations.

According to him, the Indian community in Nigeria has become an important link between the two countries in areas including education, healthcare, culture and commerce.

Singh said bilateral trade between Nigeria and India was approaching $10bn, while more than 200 Indian companies were operating in Nigeria and employing nearly 100,000 Nigerians.

He added that cooperation between the two countries was expanding across key sectors, including defence, energy, healthcare, agriculture and technology.

The high commissioner said the forthcoming BRICS summit would further strengthen relations between Abuja and New Delhi while creating opportunities for greater integration among countries of the Global South.