“Heartwarming”: PM Modi on the great welcome of the Indian diaspora in Nigeria

Prime Minister Modi also highlighted that the Marathi community in Nigeria expressed joy over Marathi being conferred the status of a classical language, during their interaction with the Indian diaspora.

Prime Minister Modi signed and praised a painting of him made by a member, Ritu Agrawal, “The Prime Minister said my drawing was very good and he took the pen from me and signed the drawing. He was very happy .”
The Indian diaspora was excited to finally interact with Prime Minister Modi upon his arrival. Dhirendra Singh Chouhan, another member of the Indian diaspora, reflects the same enthusiasm.
“We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We conveyed to the Prime Minister the pride we feel over his visit. We hope that through his visit, relations between India and Nigeria will further improve,” said Dhirendra Singh Chouhan, another said a member of the Indian diaspora.

People from remote parts of Nigeria traveled to catch a glimpse of PM Modi. Jitendra Pandey is one of those members of the Indian diaspora who traveled from Laos to Abuja.

“I came from Lagos to meet Prime Minister Modi. We felt very happy after meeting him. There is also a lot of enthusiasm among Nigerians because of the arrival of Prime Minister Modi,” a- he declared.

MEA also shared photos of the welcome extended by Nigeria and the Indian diaspora to Prime Minister Modi.

Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, on his arrival in Abuja, the capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Minister Wike presented Prime Minister Modi with the “Key to the City” of Abuja. The key symbolizes the trust and honor reposed in the Prime Minister by the Nigerian people.

The Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral talks in Nigeria to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-country tour of Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana, scheduled from November 17 to 21.

Prime Minister Modi issued a statement indicating his first stopover in Nigeria, following the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at strengthening strategic ties between the two countries.

“At the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this 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 on our strategic partnership based on a shared belief in democracy and pluralism I also look forward to meeting the Indian community and friends of Nigeria who have sent me warm messages of welcome in Hindi,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Modi will visit Brazil for the 19th G20 Summit, scheduled for November 18-19. As a member of the Troika, India will play an important role in shaping the agenda, building on the momentum of its own G20 presidency. Brazil should maintain focus on Southern priorities, ensuring continuity and progress on key issues.

Prime Minister Modi's final destination is Guyana, where he will make history as the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in over five decades. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will address the Guyana Parliament and pay tribute to the Indian diaspora, who migrated to Guyana over 185 years ago.