India trained 27,500 Nigerian professionals for free in 45yrs – Envoy

The High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Gangandharan Balasubramanian, on Monday, said his country has trained at least 27,500 Nigerian professionals in diverse fields under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) in the last 45 years.

Balasubramanian disclosed this during the 2024 ITEC Day reception at the High Commission of India in Abuja.

ITEC is the institutionalised capacity-building platform of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

It has trained more than 200,000 officials from over 160 countries in both the civilian and the defence sectors for free.

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The envoy said India provides more than 22,500 scholarships to people from different parts of the world every year.

Balasubramanian said: “With Nigeria, we started this cooperation in 1979 after we had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian government and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as it is called today.

“We are very happy to have a large number of Nigerian friends amongst us. As I told you, from 1979 we started this program. On an average, we train about 500 Nigerian friends every year in India. You can calculate the number from 1979 onwards.

“So that is the number of people whom we have been able to be part of their journey in the development of their own career and their own contribution to Nigeria.”

He said the programme covers different courses, adding that there were also some kind of specialized courses.

“For example, this year alone, we have a specialised course for 28 law enforcement officers from Nigeria who have gone to India in the month of January to undergo training.

“Currently, there is a group of people from Nigeria on digital health. And we have planned courses on space. We have planned courses in various other areas,” he said.

The envoy called on Nigerians to take advantage of the programme to improve their professional skills and return to contribute to the development of their country.

Speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, commended the Indian government for the opportunities given to Nigerians to improve their skills in India.

Represented by Ambassador Misitura Mohammed, Director of Asia and Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed said this initiative is a testament to the strong bilateral relations between the two Nations.

“I extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of India for their commitment to capacity building in Nigeria.

“ITEC Programme has empowered Nigerians of various categories with skills and knowledge enabling them to contribute more effectively to our nation’s development,” he said.

Ahmed said the programme had been advancing Nigeria’s developments, especially in critical sectors such as education, health care and infrastructure, adding that: “Nigerian partnership is a shining example of South-South collaboration and we appreciate India’s role in supporting our country’s growth.”