Has an Indian Prime Minister visited Niger?

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, bilateral visits at the level of Head of State or Head of Government are yet to take place. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Niamey on 20-21 January 2020, the first visit of EAM.

Which agreements have India and Niger signed?

The brief records an MoU of 19 September 2018 for the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre in Niamey, and two MoUs signed in January 2020 on a Protocol on Consultations and on the Establishment of a Joint Commission.

India and Niger: diplomatic relations and milestones

Q: Has the President of Niger visited India?

Former President Issoufou Mahamadou visited India in October 2015 for the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) and in March 2018 for the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance.

This article covers the diplomatic relationship between India and Niger: its background, presidential and ministerial visits from Niger to India, visits from India to Niger, and the agreements signed between the two governments. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief on India-Niger relations, dated 09 April 2026.

Background

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India and Niger have "cordial bilateral relations". The brief describes Niger as a land-locked country in the sub-Sahara region of West Africa. It states that India recognised the Republic of Niger from the time it attained Independence in 1960.

Presidential visits from Niger

Former President of Niger Mr. Issoufou Mahamadou visited India twice: in October 2015, to participate in the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III), and in March 2018, to attend the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Ministerial visits from Niger

The brief lists a series of ministerial visits from Niger to India since 2015. Those connected with the International Solar Alliance are:

In 2018, the Minister of Energy, accompanied by the Technical Advisor to the Minister for ISA, visited India from 2-5 October to participate in the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance, held in conjunction with the second Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet and Expo (2nd RE-INVEST).
In 2019, the Minister of Energy visited India from 30 July-3 August to take part in the First Meeting of the Permanent Committee of the International Solar Alliance.
In 2024, the Minister of Energy, H.E. Professor (Ms.) Amadou Haoua, attended the 7th General Assembly of ISA, held in New Delhi on 4th November.

Other ministerial visits recorded in the brief include:

In 2016, the Minister and Special Advisor to the President of Niger visited India and met MoS (VKS), MoS (MJA) and the MoS in the Ministry of Finance.
In 2018, the Minister and Special Advisor to the President of Niger (In-charge for the African Union Summit) visited India from 17-19 September to sign the MoU for the establishment of the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in Niamey. The MoU was signed on 19 September.
In 2018, the Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation visited India from 29 September-2 October to participate in the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention.
In 2019, Mr. Almoustapha Garba, Minister of Environment, Urban Sanitation and Sustainable Developments, visited India from 8-13 September to participate in the 14th Session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, held from 2-13 September in New Delhi.
In 2019, Mr. Mohamed Boucha, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, visited New Delhi from 9-15 September to participate in the same Convention and in the 2nd International Meeting of the World Project.
In 2019, Mr. Tidjani Idrissa Abdoulkadri, Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, accompanied by his Chef du Cabinet, visited India from 22-24 September to attend the 6th edition of the Asian Summit on Education and Skills, held from 23-24 September in Bengaluru.

Visits from India

As of the brief, bilateral visits at the level of Head of State or Head of Government are yet to take place. The brief lists the following visits from India to Niger:

In 2015, Shri GM Siddeshwara, MoS for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, visited Niger as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to deliver the invitations for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit. He called on President Issoufou Mahamadou and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In 2016, Shri Amarendra Khatua, Dean (FSI), visited Niger.
In 2020, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Niamey on 20-21 January.

The brief records the 2020 visit as the first visit of EAM. Dr. Jaishankar called on President Issoufou Mahamadou and Prime Minister Brigi Rafini, and met Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao. On 21 January 2020, the EAM and the President of Niger jointly inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in Niamey.

Agreements and MoUs

The agreements between the two governments recorded in the brief are:

the MoU for the establishment of the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in Niamey, signed on 19 September 2018
the MoU on a Protocol on Consultations, signed during the EAM's visit in January 2020
the MoU on the Establishment of a Joint Commission, signed during the same visit