Nigeria to honour PM Modi with Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger award

Abuja: Nigeria will confer its second-highest national award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive the distinction.

Modi is in Nigeria on the first leg of his three-nation visit at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This visit is the first by an Indian prime minister to Nigeria in 17 years.

Nigeria will honour PM Modi with its award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Indian government officials said.

Queen Elizabeth is the only foreign dignitary who was awarded GCON in 1969.

This will be the 17th such international award being conferred to Modi by a country, they said.

On his arrival in Nigeria on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Minister for Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who presented him with the 'Key to the City' of Abuja.

"The key symbolises the trust and honour bestowed on the prime minister by the people of Nigeria," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X.

During his three-nation tour, Prime Minister Modi will also visit Brazil and Guyana.