Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends swearing-in ceremony of President-elect of Nigeria Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja

New Delhi, May 29. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect of Nigeria Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja on May 29, 2023.In addition to senior officials of Ministry of Defence, the Defence Ministry’s delegation to Nigeria included top executives of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). These executives held a series of meetings with Nigerian military and Government representatives for identifying their requirements which can be fulfilled by the Indian Defence companies. B-to-B meetings were held with Nigerian companies for enhancing cooperation.

Besides high-level political representation from countries across the African continent, including several Heads of State, India was among the select non-African nations that were represented in the ‘swearing-in ceremony’ at Ministerial level, reflecting the high priority and strength of our bilateral relations with Nigeria.

Mr. Rajnath Singh also had a brief meeting with the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative of Bangladesh Mr. Md Tazul Islam who was also in Abuja to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The meeting was a testimony of the bonhomie between India and Bangladesh and the two leaders expressed the commitment of their respective Governments towards further expanding and strengthening the bilateral ties.