The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, PhD, received a delegation of participants from Course 66th of the National Defence College, New Delhi, India, on a courtesy visit to the Ministry on Monday, 1 June 2026, in Abuja. The delegation was led by Ms Anvita Sinha and was in Nigeria as part of a foreign study tour to gain insights into the country’s socio-economic development, foreign policy orientation, security environment, and strategic outlook.
Welcoming the delegation, Ambassador Ahmed reaffirmed the longstanding and cordial relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of India. He noted that both countries enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored on shared democratic values, historical friendship, growing economic engagement and cooperation within regional and multilateral frameworks.
The Permanent Secretary highlighted the significance of the visit as a valuable platform for strengthening mutual understanding and expanding cooperation in critical areas such as defence, security, capacity building, technology transfer and sustainable development. He underscored Nigeria’s appreciation for India’s longstanding support in military training, professional development and defence cooperation, which have contributed significantly to strengthening institutional capacities and promoting regional security.
During the interactive session, discussions focused on Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities, contemporary global geopolitical developments, regional security challenges and opportunities for enhanced cooperation between Nigeria and India.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration among countries of the Global South and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to promoting South-South cooperation through platforms such as BRICS and other multilateral arrangements aimed at advancing the collective interests of developing countries.