Abuja, Nov 17 (IANS) Nigeria on Sunday conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first official visit to the country while emphasising that India has positioned itself as a global powerhouse under PM Modi’s visionary leadership.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu honoured PM Modi after their bilateral meeting held at Abuja’s Aso Rock Villa which serves as the office and residence of the Nigerian Presidency.
The award citation notes that under PM’s visionary leadership, India has been positioned as a global powerhouse and his transformative governance has fostered unity, peace and shared prosperity for all.
PM Modi thanked President Tinubu and the people of Nigeria for the honour, which he dedicated to the people of India and to the longstanding friendship between India and Nigeria.
“Honoured to be conferred with the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger’ Award by Nigeria. I accept it with great humility and dedicate it to the people of India,” said PM Modi.
The Indian PM is the first foreign leader to be conferred with this award since 1969 when Queen Elizabeth received Nigeria’s highest national honour.
“Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India, and we work to deepen and broaden the same to the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries. You represent a very strong commitment in democratic values and norms. You have been doing a good job historically, winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much,” said Tinubu.
“I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s National Honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner,” he added.
Earlier this week, Dominica had announced its highest national honour, the ‘Dominica Award of Honour,’ for PM Modi in acknowledgement of his pivotal support during the Covid-19 pandemic and his commitment to fostering India-Dominica relations.
Dominica’s President Sylvanie Burton is set to confer the award during the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana, which Prime Minister Modi will be attending personally in the coming week after wrapping up his engagements in the G20 Summit at Rio de Janeiro.
This would eventually take the number of civilian honours received by PM Modi to a record 17, highlighting his leadership and India’s growing stature on the global stage.
It is also a reflection of India’s strengthened diplomatic relationships and the country’s expanding influence.
PM Modi has been conferred highest civilian honours in Saudi Arabia (King Abdulaziz Sash, 2016), Afghanistan (State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan, 2016), Palestine (Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award, 2018), UAE (Order of Zayed Award, 2019), Russia (Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, 2019 – received by PM Modi in July 2024), Maldives (Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin, 2019), Bahrain (King Hamad Order of the Renaissance, 2019), US (Legion of Merit by the US Armed Forces in 2020), Bhutan (Order of the Druk Gyalpo, 2021) Papua New Guinea (Ebakl Award, 2023), Fiji (Companion of the Order of Fiji, 2023), Papua New Guinea (Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu, 2023), Egypt (Order of Nile, 2023), France (Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, 2023), Greece (Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, 2023).
In addition to these highest civilian honours, PM Modi has received several prestigious awards from renowned global organisations.
In 2018, he was awarded the Seoul Peace Prize by the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation, in recognition of his contributions to global harmony and world peace.
In the same year, the United Nations honoured PM Modi with its highest environmental accolade, the Champions of The Earth Award, for his bold environmental leadership.
In 2019, PM Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award, which is annually awarded to leaders who demonstrate outstanding national leadership.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded PM Modi the Global Goalkeeper Award in 2019, in recognition of his efforts to transform India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan into a mass movement for cleanliness.
In 2021, PM Modi received the Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award from Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), in recognition of his leadership on global energy and environmental sustainability.
–IANS
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