IndiaPost.com - India and Nigeria to forge strategic partnership

ABUJA: India and Nigeria decided to forge a strategic partnership and broad base cooperation in several key spheres while intensifying efforts to bolster trade and investment.

The ‘Abuja Declaration’ on strategic partnership, issued after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nigerian President Yar’Adua, covers wide range of areas including enhancing cooperation in security, education, trade, economic and science and technology.

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation and three other documents. These cover a protocol on foreign office consultations, MoU between Indian Council of World Affairs and Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and another MoU between the Foreign Service Institute and its Nigerian counterpart. It was agreed that the two countries would sign within next six months an extradition treaty, agreements on double taxation avoidance and bilateral investment promotion and protection.

The two countries will also work out a bilateral air services pact, a mutual legal assistance treaty and an agreement on cooperation against drug trafficking. A three-year cultural exchange programme beginning next year will also be finalized. Briefing reporters on the talks, Nalin Surie, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, said President Yar’Adua described the visit as a mark of honor and a deep transition in bilateral relations.

Both governments would continue to encourage further cooperation between their companies in the oil and gas sectors. Nigeria is a major oil producer and oil accounts for 96 per cent of the bilateral trade. Nigeria is also the biggest trade partner with India in Africa. Surie said India has agreed to set up a technology village in Abuja on the request of Nigeria, which was looking forward to cooperation in the area.

During the discussions, India has offered to extend a line of credit of USD 250 million rpt million for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), another USD 100 million for use in supply of agricultural and industrial equipment from India. India has also decided to increase the scholarships for Nigerian students for education and research in India from 50 to 75. The two leaders sought closer cooperation and coordination between the two countries in World Trade Organization (WTO) on the Doha Round of negotiations.

In the energy sector, Surie said the declaration has emphasized on greater cooperation between the two sides in this area and to expand collaboration not just in oil and gas sectors but also fertilizer and power areas. Both the Indian public and private sector oil firms were already working in Nigerian oil sector. As per defense cooperation, India would assist Nigeria in training and setting up of two Information Technology labs in a Nigerian defense academy. Regarding incidents of kidnapping of Indians and persons of Indian origin, Surie said the Nigerian side has been very helpful every time such incidents have taken place by taking prompt action and getting the hostages released. He said Nigeria reaffirmed its support for India’s case for permanent membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council.

Unveiling his new vision of ties with Nigeria, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the two countries should seek to upgrade their cooperation on security matters to meet the emerging threats of terrorism and challenges to social fabric. Given the rare honor to a visiting dignitary, the Prime Minister laid out the roadmap for ties in his address to the joint session of the Nigerian National Assembly, which was attended by all sections of the House including a group which had threatened to boycott it because it had a running duel with Speaker Patricia Etteh on corruption charges against her.

"We are approaching the 50th year of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. There can be no better occasion than this to launch a Strategic Partnership between India and Nigeria. It will be anchored in the past and look to the future," he said in his address heard in rapt attention punctuated with thumping of desks. "Ours is a partnership for peace, stability and security. Without peace, there cannot be a sustained economic progress.