(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred the national award, the "Grand Commander of the Order of Niger" (GCON), on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a prestigious ceremony at the State House in Abuja on Sunday. The honor was bestowed upon Prime Minister Modi for his exemplary statesmanship and significant contribution to strengthening the ties between India and Nigeria.
The award citation highlighted Prime Minister Modi 's visionary leadership, which has positioned India as a global powerhouse. It also lauded his transformative governance, emphasizing his efforts to foster unity, peace, and shared prosperity for all.
After receiving Nigeria's highest national award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger , Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed that the recognition will motivate him to further strengthen the India-Nigeria strategic partnership.
He extended his sincere gratitude to the Nigerian government and its people, dedicating the honour to the "140 crore Indians" and the enduring friendship between the two nations.
PM Modi said, "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the government and the people of Nigeria for conferring on me the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, Nigeria's national award. I accept this honour with humility and respect. I dedicate this honour to the 140 crore Indians and the deep friendship between India and Nigeria." "This award will keep inspiring us to take the India-Nigeria strategic partnership to new heights," he added.
PM Modi further highlighted the strong bonds between India and Nigeria, emphasising that their relations are built on "mutual cooperation, goodwill, and mutual respect."
He said, "Relations between India and Nigeria are based on mutual cooperation, goodwill and mutual respect. As two vibrant democracies and dynamic economies, we have been working together for the well-being of the people of both countries. Social and cultural diversity in both countries is our identity and our strength. There are many similarities between Nigeria's Renowned Hope Agenda and Viksit Bharat 2047."
He added, "Today, we discussed in detail on making mutual cooperation more strong and broad. New possibilities have been identified in the sectors of economy, energy, agriculture, security, fintech, small and medium scale enterprise and culture."
PM Modi also reaffirmed India's commitment to strengthening ties with Nigeria and the broader African continent and acknowledged Nigeria's "positive role" in Africa.
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"Nigeria has a very big and positive role in Africa and close cooperation with Africa has been a high priority for India. India and Nigeria will move forward together for the prosperity of the people of both countries and the entire African continent. We will give importance to the interests and priorities of the Global South, working in close coordination," he said.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nigeria marks the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 17 years. PM Modi is currently on a three-nation tour, covering Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana, from November 17 to November 21.
Earlier on Sunday, PM Modi held a "very productive discussion" with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to further enhance the strategic partnership between the two nations. The Prime Minister emphasized the "immense scope" for strengthening ties in various sectors, including defence, technology, health, and more.
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In a post on X, PM Modi shared, "Had a very productive discussion with President Tinubu. We talked about adding momentum to our strategic partnership. There is immense scope for ties to flourish even further in sectors like defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education and more."
Notably, Queen Elizabeth is the only foreign dignitary to have received the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) in 1969. This marks the 17th international award conferred to PM Modi by a foreign country.
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