Nigeria to honour PM Modi with GCON award; 2nd after Queen Elizabeth to receive this honour

PTC News Desk: Nigeria will award Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

PM Modi is the second foreign dignitary to receive this honour. Queen Elizabeth is the only foreign dignitary to have been granted the GCON in 1969.

This will be the 17th international honour given to PM Modi by a country.

Prime Minister Modi landed in Nigeria on Sunday for the first leg of his three-nation tour.

PM Modi was greeted warmly by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Minister for Federal Capital Territory when he arrived in Abuja, Nigeria's capital.

The Prime Minister is to hold bilateral talks in Nigeria to boost ties between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-nation tour of Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana from November 17 to November 21.

PM Modi released a statement saying that his first visit to Nigeria, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's invitation, will be to deepen strategic ties between the two countries.

"At the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this will be my first visit to Nigeria, which is our close partner in the West African region. My visit will be an opportunity to build upon our Strategic Partnership that is based on shared belief in democracy and pluralism. I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm welcome messages in Hindi," the statement read.

India and Nigeria have warm, amicable, and long-standing bilateral relations.

PM Modi's visit marks the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Nigeria in 17 years.