Minister of State Defence Holds Bilateral Meeting with His Nigerian Counterpart in New Delhi

Minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth, held a bilateral meeting with minister of state, defence of Nigeria Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle in New Delhi on 12 August 2025. The two ministers discussed the way forward to further advance growing bilateral defence cooperation and military engagements across diverse domains. They deliberated upon the opportunities of collaboration in counter-terrorism training, research and development, maritime cooperation, including hydrography and anti-piracy, and industry cooperation.

He highlighted the capability of the Indian defence industry to produce high-quality defence equipment such as Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV). He assured full support to meet the requirements of the Nigerian side. The Indian delegation expressed readiness to welcome the team from Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB), Nigeria to explore the area of joint R&D. The Nigerian minister invited the Indian delegation to visit the defence industry in Nigeria to explore the possibility of investment in the sector.

Dr Matawalle was leading a delegation to India from 11-14 August 2025. The Nigerian delegation also interacted with Indian defence industries during the visit.

India and Nigeria enjoy warm, friendly, age-old and deep-rooted relations. The defence relationship traces back to the early Sixties. India as the largest democracy in the world and Nigeria as the largest in Africa, have become natural partners.