India and Nigeria are deepening cooperation across trade, defence, energy, healthcare, agriculture and technology, with bilateral trade reaching about $9 billion in the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
Indian High Commissioner Abhishek Singh said the relationship had moved well beyond its traditional foundations in oil trade and historical ties.
More than 200 Indian companies are currently operating in Nigeria across pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, power, construction, consumer goods, healthcare and services.
Singh said those businesses collectively employ close to 100,000 Nigerians, with many operating local production facilities rather than relying only on imports.
Energy remains a major area of cooperation, but engagement is expanding into pipeline security, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and wider investment in the petroleum sector.
Defence cooperation includes training, intelligence sharing, maritime security and efforts against terrorism, piracy and illicit trafficking.
India has also provided concessional credit and technical training to Nigerian professionals through development programmes.
Healthcare, affordable medicines, digital infrastructure, agricultural mechanisation, climate resilience and space applications were identified as areas with strong future potential.
Singh traced recent momentum in relations to high level visits by President Bola Tinubu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said Tinubu had been invited to attend the BRICS Leaders Summit scheduled for September 2026 in New Delhi.
The two countries are also supporting each other’s aspirations at the United Nations.
About 60,000 Indians are estimated to live in Nigeria, many of them second and third generation residents.
The High Commissioner said the expanding relationship positioned both countries as increasingly important partners in Africa, the Global South and the emerging international economic order.
