Nigeria Deepen Bilateral Ties With India to Develop the Steel and Mines Industry

AbdulRahman Obaje

The Federal Governor deepen Bilateral ties with the government of India to develop the steel and mine industry.

Im a statement signed by Lizzy Okoji Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, “Nigeria’s Steel Minister Audu Holds Talks with India’s Minister of Steel Mr.

“The Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has held bilateral engagements with India’s Cabinet Minister of Steel during his ongoing official visit to India.

Prince Audu met with India’s Minister of Steel, H. D. Kumaraswamy, at his parliamentary office in New Delhi, India on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with a focus on strengthening cooperation between both countries, following the recent signing of a $1 billion Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Rashmi Metaliks Limited.

During the discussions, Prince Audu conveyed the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to grow Nigeria’s GDP to $1 trillion by 2030, with the minerals and metals sector positioned as a key driver of industrial growth. He noted that the administration’s economic progress is anchored on deliberate efforts to deploy innovative, private sector–orientated leadership to reposition the steel sector.

The Minister further advocated for enhanced collaboration in critical areas, including technical capacity building, exchange programmes, metals quality assurance, and efficient scrap aggregation systems to support Nigeria’s emerging steel industry. He emphasised that the strong performance of Indian companies operating in Nigeria reflects the country’s improving investment climate under the current Administration.

In his response, Minister Kumaraswamy commended the Nigerian Minister and expressed India’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in the steel sector. He described India’s steel industry, which is the second biggest in the world after China, as a reliable partner and highlighted Rashmi Group’s capacity to deliver value in a conducive environment.

The meeting was also attended by the Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to India, Amb. Ubong Akpan Johnny; and the Minister’s Technical Adviser, Anekwe Patrick Chinwuba.