NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima in New Delhi on Sunday, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. The high-level interaction highlighted the growing importance of India-Nigeria relations at a time when BRICS is seeking to deepen cooperation among emerging economies and strengthen engagement with the Global South.
Shettima was in New Delhi to participate in the 2026 BRICS Summit, with Nigeria attending the grouping as a BRICS Partner Country. India hosted the two-day summit under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, bringing together leaders and representatives to discuss economic development, international cooperation and common global challenges.
The meeting between Modi and Shettima was accompanied by other diplomatic engagements between the two countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held talks with Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu during the summit. Discussions between the two sides focused on strengthening economic cooperation and expanding people-to-people connections.
Nigeria’s participation as a BRICS Partner Country adds another dimension to India’s engagement with Africa. Nigeria is among the countries holding partner status in the grouping, alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The expanded partnership framework provides opportunities for greater dialogue on trade, investment and development.
The potential for closer cooperation between India and Nigeria was also underlined by Idehai Frederick, Chairman of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria. Speaking during the summit, Frederick pointed to the significant economic and democratic roles played by India in Asia and Nigeria in Africa. He said the two countries have considerable scope to work together on issues affecting their respective regions and the wider global economy.
Frederick further pointed to the established presence of Indian businesses in Nigeria and the scale of commercial engagement between the two countries. Indian companies have developed longstanding trade and business relationships in the African market, making economic cooperation one of the important pillars of the bilateral relationship.
The discussions took place against the wider backdrop of India’s BRICS presidency and its efforts to promote practical cooperation. Addressing the summit’s open session, Prime Minister Modi said BRICS had entered a phase in which the international community expected tangible outcomes from the grouping. He stressed that collective efforts should move beyond declarations and translate into concrete results.
Modi also highlighted India’s work through BRICS in areas such as disaster management, cooperation involving micro, small and medium enterprises, and environmental initiatives. He said the confidence of countries across the Global South in the grouping had increased, underlining the growing role of BRICS in discussions on inclusive global development.
The Prime Minister further called for BRICS cooperation to extend beyond governments and institutions. Entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, young people and ordinary citizens, he said, should also be part of the wider cooperation process. Such an approach could help connect international partnerships with economic opportunities and social development at the grassroots level.
The New Delhi summit also looked ahead to the next phase of BRICS cooperation, with China set to host the grouping’s next summit in 2027. Against this backdrop, the Modi-Shettima meeting assumes significance as India and Nigeria continue to explore avenues for stronger economic, diplomatic and people-to-people engagement. Their interaction in New Delhi adds momentum to India’s broader outreach towards Africa and the Global South.
