India-Nigeria Trade Skyrockets to $9 Billion, Modi Invites Tinubu to BRICS Summit

India and Nigeria are significantly strengthening their strategic partnership, transcending traditional ties of historical goodwill and oil trade to embrace a comprehensive, multidimensional collaboration. According to Abhishek Singh, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, bilateral trade between the two nations is projected to reach approximately $9 billion in the 2025–26 financial year, a substantial increase from $7.13 billion recorded in 2024 and 2025. This burgeoning economic relationship underscores the growing importance of cooperation between Africa’s largest economy and a major global emerging power, now covering critical areas such as security, technology, food security, healthcare, agriculture, and global governance.

Economic engagement forms a robust foundation of this partnership, with more than 200 Indian companies actively operating in Nigeria. These investments span diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, power, construction, consumer goods, healthcare, and various services. Crucially, many of these companies have established local factories and production facilities, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s industrial landscape. This substantial Indian investment has created employment for nearly 100,000 Nigerians, positioning Indian companies as one of the country’s largest private-sector employers and reflecting strong investor confidence in Nigeria’s market and its long-term economic prospects.

Energy security remains a paramount pillar of the strategic relationship. While crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) continue to play vital roles, cooperation is extending beyond conventional trade. Indian investments are now flowing into Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, pipeline security initiatives, compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion projects, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure development. Given India’s population of 1.4 billion and Nigeria’s over 230 million, the enormous energy demands of both nations necessitate deeper collaboration in this crucial field, as emphasized by High Commissioner Singh.

Defence and maritime security represent another cornerstone of the enduring partnership, with cooperation dating back decades. India has historically supported Nigeria in establishing key institutions such as the National Defence Academy in Kaduna and the Naval College in Port Harcourt. Both countries face common security threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, piracy, organized crime, and illicit trafficking. Consequently, their collaboration encompasses intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism efforts, defence training, and maritime security, particularly vital for stability in the Gulf of Guinea. Scheduled bilateral discussions involving a Nigerian naval delegation in India further underscore the depth of these defence relations, alongside ongoing collaboration in defence equipment and sales.

India’s development partnership with Nigeria has yielded tangible results, including $395 million in concessional lines of credit. Furthermore, extensive technical and professional training has been provided to Nigerians through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Nigerians have benefited from ITEC training in diverse areas such as auditing, teaching, rural development, electrification, and specialized fields, with members of the Nigerian Armed Forces receiving training at leading Indian defence institutions. This development assistance is strategically aligned with Nigeria’s own development priorities, leveraging India’s strengths.

Healthcare is a significant area of bilateral cooperation, with India widely recognized as a major global supplier of affordable medicines and one of the largest exporters of pharmaceutical products to Nigeria. Beyond healthcare, cooperation is actively expanding into new frontiers. These include Digital Public Infrastructure, space applications, agricultural mechanisation, enhancing food security, and fostering climate-resilient development, all identified as crucial areas for future collaboration.

The recent momentum in bilateral relations is largely attributable to increased high-level political engagement. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to India in September 2023, during India’s G20 presidency, was particularly significant as it coincided with the formal admission of the African Union as a full member of the G20. This was followed by a historic state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nigeria in November 2024—the first by an Indian Prime Minister in approximately 17 years. During his visit, Modi engaged in extensive discussions with President Tinubu on a wide array of topics, from trade and investment to defence, energy, and technology, and was conferred Nigeria’s esteemed national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). Other high-level interactions include India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s attendance at President Tinubu’s inauguration and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit for the Sixth India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting.

Looking ahead, India is actively seeking stronger Nigerian participation in global economic and political platforms. President Tinubu has been invited to the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi, where India will hold the chairmanship. Nigeria’s participation is considered vital given its status as Africa’s largest economy and one of the world’s most populous nations. Both countries also mutually support each other’s aspirations at the United Nations; Nigeria has conveyed its support for India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council under the banner “SHANTI,” while India has likewise backed Nigeria’s candidacy, advocating for the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership categories for a reformed global order.

The Indian community in Nigeria, estimated at around 60,000 individuals, serves as an invaluable bridge between the two nations. Many are second- and third-generation Indians deeply rooted in Nigerian society, contributing significantly to education, healthcare, culture, and commerce. They often consider both India their motherland and Nigeria their fatherland, fostering strong people-to-people ties.

The foundational relationship traces back to India establishing its Liaison Office in Lagos in 1958, even before Nigeria’s independence. This relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in October 2007. Nearly two decades later, this partnership has evolved into a truly multidimensional relationship, poised for an even deeper phase. With bilateral trade nearing $10 billion, extensive Indian corporate presence, and deepening cooperation across critical sectors, Nigeria is increasingly positioned by India as a crucial strategic partner in shaping the future of Africa, the Global South, and the emerging multipolar world.