PM Modi arrives in Nigeria, receives grand welcome on maiden visit
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the members of the Indian community received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Abuja airport on Sunday.
In Short
- PM Modi arrived in Nigerian capital, Abuja on Sunday
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomes him at the airport
- PM Modi's five-day tour also includes Brazil and Guyana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abuja on Sunday, marking his maiden visit to Nigeria as part of a three-nation tour that will also include stops in Brazil and Guyana. He became the first Indian PM to visit the west African nation in 17 years.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed PM Modi at Abuja airport. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Minister for Federal Capital Territory, presented PM Modi with the 'key of the City' of Abuja.
Taking to X, PM Modi thanked President Tinubu. "Thank you, President Tinubu. Landed a short while ago in Nigeria. Grateful for the warm welcome. May this visit deepen the bilateral friendship between our nations," PM Modi tweeted.
The Indian community, gathered at Abuja airport, welcomed PM Modi. "Heartwarming to see the Indian community in Nigeria extending such a warm and vibrant welcome!" PM Modi further tweeted.
PM Modi earlier said, "At the invitation of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it will be my first visit to Nigeria, which is our close partner in the West African region. My visit will be an opportunity to build upon our Strategic Partnership that is based on a shared belief in democracy and pluralism. I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm welcome messages in Hindi."
The three-nation tour, scheduled from November 16 to 21, kicked off with Nigeria before PM Modi will head to Brazil to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The trip will conclude with a historic state visit to Guyana, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in more than 50 years.