The Government of India has invited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to attend the G20 summit coming up in India 9th and 10th September 2023.
The Nation Newspaper reported that India is holding the G20 presidency in 2023.
The G20 brings together the world’s major and systemically important economies. Its members represent 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the world’s population.
The forum meets every year since its inception in 1999 after the Global Financial Crisis of 1997-98, with leaders meeting for an annual G20 Leaders’ Summit since 2008.
In addition to the Summit, there are ministerial meetings, sherpa meetings, working groups and special events organised throughout the year.
The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Each year, the presidency invites guest countries to participate. Spain is invited as a permanent guest.
Speaking on the plan to have President Tinubu attend the summit, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Shri G. Balasubramanian, said channels of communication have already been opened between both countries towards President Tinubu’s participation.
The envoy also hailed Nigeria’s participation in the over 140 various meetings that have been held so far, saying it has been very satisfactory.
He said, “So in that connection, we are expecting His Excellency Mr. Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria to visit India for the forthcoming G20. Summit in India on 9th and 10th of September this year.
“So this is something that we are working closely with Nigerian authorities.
“We have had more than 140 meetings from December till now and we are very satisfied with the participation of Nigeria in the G20 meetings and at the ministerial level, working group level, engagement group level, and so on and so forth.”
He stressed the historic relationship between both countries.
“We are expecting the current president to also visit India. I will come to the background just in a while now. We assumed that given the special relationship that we have had with Nigeria for the past many years, when we took over the presidency of G20 in December 2022. We invited Nigeria as a guest country for the first time to the G20. So that itself reflects the strength of the relationship, political relationship and the close cooperation that we have been having.
President Tinubu was in Paris, France in June for his first official international assignment when he attended the summit for a new Global Financing Pact hosted by French President, Emmanuel Macron.
