President Muhammadu Buhari has described the relationship between Nigeria and India as a worthy one and mutually beneficial.
He said this on Monday while receiving the outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, B.N Reddy, at a farewell audience at the State House in Abuja.
The President recalled that he had his military staff college training in India in the early 1970s and commended the country for managing its multi-party democracy quite well.
“In spite of the huge population, you have also managed your security and economy efficiently. There is steadfast improvement,” President Buhari was quoted as saying in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.
The High Commissioner, who spent two-and-a-half years in Nigeria, said it was a pleasurable experience for him and his family.
“We depart with heavy hearts. We had a rewarding time. You are a country of great diversity, and we enjoyed our stay here,” Reddy told the President.
He added that that the relationship between the two countries had been deepened in recent years, noting that India was Nigeria’s largest trading partner.
Reddy commended the economic diversification policy of the Buhari administration and pledged that India would remain “a developing partner.”
