By Sarafina Christopher
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Mr Saidu Muhammad, has urged stakeholders to leverage the country’s engagement with BRICS to explore opportunities in India’s technology and investment sectors.
Muhammad said such partnerships could help Nigeria benefit from India’s technological advancement in agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
The envoy gave the advice on Wednesday in an interview with Nigerian diplomatic correspondents covering the upcoming 2026 BRICS Summit in India.
He urged Nigeria’s delegation to identify areas of India’s economic strength that could be harnessed to support the country’s development.
Muhammad identified agricultural technology and the agricultural value chain as areas with significant opportunities for Nigeria.
“A lot can be achieved in agri-tech as it relates to the agricultural value chain,” he said.
He also identified the circular economy and renewable energy as areas Nigerian stakeholders could explore, particularly through the deployment of solar energy and waste management technologies.
According to him, healthcare and pharmaceuticals are other areas where Nigeria could benefit from India through increased investment and strategic partnerships.
“Nigerians always come here for medical tourism. Why can’t we now look for a possibility of getting those big hospitals?” he said.
The high commissioner said attracting major Indian hospitals to establish operations in Nigeria could reduce the need for Nigerians to travel to India for medical treatment.
He said such investments could also enable Nigeria to provide healthcare services to patients from other African countries.
Muhammad further identified the creative economy as an area with significant investment potential, given the opportunities within Nigeria’s growing creative industry.
He said the sector was valued at about 6.4 billion dollars and projected to grow to nearly 15 billion dollars in the coming years.
The envoy urged stakeholders committed to Nigeria’s development to look beyond conventional trade and pursue partnerships with Indian businesses and institutions in areas capable of driving economic growth.
He said the Nigerian mission in India would continue to facilitate engagements between Nigerian stakeholders and potential Indian partners. (NAN)