MoS V Muraleedharan also addressed the recently launched Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC)

India and Nigeria discussed cooperation in diverse areas including trade & investment, energy, and health during the recent visit of Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

During the visit on Monday and Tuesday, MoS Muraleedharan paid a courtesy call on President Muhammad
Burhari. He also met Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd).

The minister had previously travelled to Nigeria in June 2019 to take part in the country's celebration of Democracy Day.

"During MoS’s meetings with Nigerian dignitaries, cooperation in trade and investment, energy, education, health, defence, cultural and people-to-people ties were discussed. Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

MoS Muraleedharan delivered a keynote address at the inaugural meeting of recently launched Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC) along with Nigerian Trade & Investment Minister Otunba Richard Niyi Adebayo, Minister of Power Engr. Abubakar D Aliyu, Minister for Mines & Steel Development Olamilekan Adegbite, Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and MoS for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria Zubairu Dada.

Senior officials of Nigerian Government, and large number of industry representatives from India and Nigeria attended the event.

Later, at a community gathering held by the High Commissioner, MoS Muraleedharan spoke with over 200 members of the Indian community.

According to the MEA, MoS Muraleedharan's visit to Nigeria had further consolidated the multifaceted bilateral relations that exists between India and Nigeria. His participation at the inaugural meeting of NIBC provided a renewed impetus to the bilateral economic partnership with Nigeria, the ministry added.