Nigeria will honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive this honour after Queen Elizabeth.

The Queen was awarded GCON in 1969.

This will be the 17th international award conferred to Modi by a foreign country.

Modi arrived in Nigeria on Sunday on the first leg of his three-nation tour. The prime minister was accorded a warm welcome by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Minister for Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

Wike presented Modi the ‘Key to the City’ of Abuja, which symbolises the the trust and honour bestowed on the prime minister by the people of Nigeria, the External Affairs Ministry said.

This is the first visit to the resource-rich African country by an Indian prime minister in 17 years.

“My visit will be an opportunity to build upon our Strategic Partnership that is based on shared belief in democracy and pluralism. I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm welcome messages in Hindi,” Modi had said in a statement on Saturday.

India and Nigeria have been strategic partners since 2007 with growing economic, energy and defence collaboration.

On Sunday Modi will hold a meeting with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the two leaders are expected to discuss further avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship.