President Bola Tinubu recently attended and addressed the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, over the weekend.

As of 2023, the G20 consists of 21 member nations, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU).

During an interview with Firstpost on the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, argued that Nigeria should be a G20 member due to its status as the largest economy on the continent. Tuggar also noted Nigeria's influential role in decision-making across many African nations and expressed hope for India's support in this regard.

He said: “We feel that Nigeria should be included as well. Being the most populous country in Africa and the largest economy, you know. The theme is one world, one family, one future.

“We want that future to be democratic, and the family should be democratized and more inclusive. So, 15 percent of Africans should be included in the same way that the EU and other European countries are included.

“We feel that there is room for the EU and Nigeria at the same time.

“We believe with the support of countries like India, and the forward outlook of Prime Minister Modi, we can get in there,” he added.

“We need to be on the decision-making table of the largest economies in the world where you know key decisions that affect the whole world and that affect Africa.”

In terms of the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and India, the minister said both countries share the same vision on economics.

He added: “We will collaborate with India for that growth. While we were here, there were pledges for investment, upwards of $14 billion from the private sector.

“The federal government, of course, is there to support and create the environment for businesses to thrive. So, we’re very optimistic.“