By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Nigeria and India have discussed measures to strengthen bilateral relations, including technology transfer, renewable energy, investment partnerships and the possible extension of an amnesty regime for Nigerians who have overstayed their visas in India.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, disclosed this on Sunday following a bilateral meeting with her Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.
Ojukwu, in a post on her X handle, described the meeting as a “constructive bilateral session,” saying both sides explored areas capable of deepening cooperation between the two countries.
She said technology transfer, renewable energy and investment partnerships were among the issues discussed during the meeting.
The minister said particular attention was given to the welfare of Nigerians in India, in line with the “Citizen Diplomacy” imperatives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to her, she and Jaishankar discussed extensively the possibility of granting a further extension of the amnesty regime to enable more Nigerians who had overstayed their visas in India to return home without penalties.
She added that the initiative could be facilitated through a possible bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and India on the transfer of sentenced persons.
Ojukwu also raised concerns over Nigerians detained in India for immigration-related offences, calling for an acceleration of the judicial process in such cases.
“Most significantly, in line with the Citizen Diplomacy imperatives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, we discussed extensively on granting a further extension of the amnesty regime to allow more Nigerians who have overstayed their visas in India to return home without penalty,” she said.
The minister said the two sides also explored economic opportunities available to both countries, as well as the need to expand educational and cultural exchanges.
She expressed optimism that stronger cooperation in these areas would further deepen relations between Nigeria and India and create greater opportunities for citizens of both countries.
Precise Post recalls that the amnesty regime for Nigerians who overstayed their visas in India appears started in 2025 and more than 4,000 Nigerians had voluntarily left India under the amnesty arrangement, which was introduced by the Indian government to enable irregular migrants, including Nigerians, to leave voluntarily.
