Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth held a bilateral meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, in New Delhi on Tuesday, focusing on deepening the growing defence cooperation between the two nations. The discussions centered on advancing military engagements across multiple domains, including counter-terrorism training, research and development, maritime cooperation, hydrography, anti-piracy efforts, and defence industry collaboration.
Seth highlighted the capabilities of India’s defence industry, showcasing high-quality equipment such as the Light Combat Aircraft, Light Combat Helicopter, and Offshore Patrol Vessels. He assured full support to meet Nigeria’s defence requirements and expressed India’s readiness to host a team from Nigeria’s Defence Research and Development Bureau to explore joint research and development opportunities. In response, Dr Matawalle invited an Indian delegation to visit Nigeria’s defence industry to explore potential investment opportunities.
The Nigerian Minister is leading a delegation to India from August 11 to 14. During the visit, the delegation also engaged with Indian defence industries to further bilateral collaboration.
India and Nigeria share warm, longstanding, and deep-rooted relations, with their defence ties dating back to the early 1960s. As the largest democracies in their respective continents—India in the world and Nigeria in Africa—the two nations have emerged as natural partners, committed to strengthening their strategic cooperation.
