Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, has announced that over 4,000 Nigerians had returned home from India under an amnesty scheme for foreigners without legal documents.
The scheme has enabled Nigerians living in India without official immigration status to either regularise their stay or return willingly without penalties, Muhammad added. He made the remark in New Delhi during an interaction with diplomatic media covering the 2026 BRICS Summit.
The ambassador said the Indian government had initially given six months for the initiative, but after he took charge, they had extended it for another three months. He said Nigeria had now requested for a further extension of between three and six months to allow more Nigerians to regularise their status or return home.
One of his first assignments, Muhammad said, was a virtual engagement with Nigerians residing in different parts of India. Muhammad landed in India July 23. He told them to respect Indian laws, safeguard Nigeria’s image and engage solely in legitimate enterprises.
He said throughout the discussion, members of the Nigerian community highlighted concerns on issues of visa overstays, renewals and extensions, students’ welfare and medical complications.
The High Commissioner also met with officials of India’s Ministry of External Affairs responsible for Central and West Africa and discussed immigration and other concerns impacting Nigerian people.
He also talked about the need to expand Nigeria-India relations, describing his meeting with Indian President Droupadi Murmu on August 24 as “fruitful and cordial”.
He said both countries looked at stronger cooperation in medicines and healthcare, electricity and renewable energy, mining and solid minerals, manufacturing, commerce and investment.
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Nigeria was seeking better access for its firms to the Indian market and was urging Indian investors to scale up their presence in Nigeria, the ambassador added.
He said he had kept Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs abreast of his diplomatic efforts with frequent dispatches since he assumed office.
He reaffirm the resolve to deepen bilateral relations, advance economic diplomacy and address the welfare and concerns of Nigerians living in India.
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