Hon Yakubu Dogara, seeks India’s support for Nigeria`s Security Council bid
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12:53:00 AM |
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Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has pleaded with India to support Nigeria`s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
The Speaker made the appeal when he received in audience, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. A. R. Ghanashyam, on Friday. He said relations between the two countries dated back to pre-independence Nigeria.
Nigeria and India have been bidding for a permanent seat on the UN security council which has five members.
Dogara submitted that Nigeria and India can play significant roles in reforming the UN security council as they bid for permanent seats
He said India is now the number one importer of Nigeria`s crude oil surpassing the United States of America.
The Speaker revealed that as at December 2013, total trade volume between the two countries stood at $17 billion which underscores the level of economic engagements between Nigeria and India.
He however, decried medical tourism by Nigerians to India which he said should be discouraged by establishing standard and well-equipped Indian hospitals in Nigeria.
The Speaker urged the envoy to invite India`s investors to come to Nigeria and establish standard hospitals and explore other investment opportunities.
India, according to the Speaker, has advanced in areas as ICT, agriculture and energy and that it can help Nigeria in developing its potentials.
The Speaker also advocated the establishment of Nigeria-India Parliamentary friendship groups.
Responding, the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Mr. A.R . Ghanashyam, said his country places great importance to its relations with Nigeria.
The High Commissioner disclosed that in the last three decades, four African leaders were invited as special guests of honour during Indian national day celebrations, two of whom were former Nigerians leaders, Shehu shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo.
He said India has now moved from being the world`s largest democracy to one of the finest and expressed hope that Nigeria is gradually reforming its democracy.
