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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Nigeria’s newly accredited High Commissioner to India, Saidu Muhammad, has shown commitment to deepen trade, investment and business-to-business links between Abuja and New Delhi, as he presented his Letters of Credence to Indian President Droupadi Murmu.
The credential ceremony took place on Monday at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Murmu also received ambassadors from South Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Moldova, Germany and Sweden, according to a post on the President’s official X account.
In his remarks, Muhammad conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill and best wishes to President Murmu, and pledged to build on the “longstanding bilateral relations” between Nigeria and India. He described his appointment as both a privilege and a responsibility to further advance Nigeria’s interests in New Delhi. Going beyond diplomatic formalities, the High Commissioner outlined an economic-focused mandate, saying he would work to encourage greater Indian investment in Nigeria, facilitate stronger business-to-business engagement and promote opportunities for Nigerian enterprises to access the Indian market. He noted that Nigeria–India relations extend beyond political and diplomatic ties to include substantial economic, commercial, cultural, educational and people-to-people connections.
President Murmu, in her response, warmly welcomed Ambassador Muhammad and congratulated him on his appointment. She highlighted the strong historical bonds, mutual respect and shared interests that underpin the relationship and pointed to India’s position as a major business and trading partner of Nigeria.
Stressing the “considerable potential” for further expansion of trade, investment and economic cooperation, she appreciated the contributions of Indian businesses and investors to Nigeria’s economic development. She underscored the need to continue encouraging stronger private-sector engagement between the two countries and expressed confidence that the High Commissioner’s tenure would positively consolidate and further develop Nigeria–India relations.
