Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained that he conferred the highest national award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi because of longstanding partnerships.

He made the clarification in a statement on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Sunday.

He also highlighted the key points of the bilateral discussion to include ‘culture, defense, mining, customs, and education, among others’.

President Tinubu wrote, “I had a productive bilateral session with Prime Minister Modi. We identified several promising areas for enhanced collaboration and cooperation, including culture, defense, mining, customs, and education, among others. As the two largest democracies in the world and in Africa, the strategic partnership between Nigeria and India has stood the test of time. Today’s visit will help advance this cooperation towards our shared prosperity.

“I also honoured Prime Minister Modi @narendramodi with our highest national honour in the ‘Order of the Niger’ honours – the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

Thank you, PM Modi, for being a good friend of Nigeria.”

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has vented the strong points on the agenda of his meeting with Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to include ‘defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education’.

Biztellers reports that the Indian leader and his entourage arrived Abuja to the warm reception of President Tinubu and other top government officials on Saturday.

Modi, after a meeting with President Tinubu on Sunday, took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, to share the strong points on the agenda.

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He wrote, “Had a very productive discussion with President Tinubu. We talked about adding momentum to our strategic partnership. There is immense scope for ties to flourish even further in sectors like defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education and more.”

Israel’s military launched new airstrikes in Gaza and southern Lebanon on Sunday, continuing its multi-front offensive against Hamas and Hezbollah.

In Gaza, at least 46 people were killed in Israeli air raids, the civil defense agency reported.

The deadliest attack took place in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, where 26 people, including women and children, were killed, and at least 59 others were trapped under rubble.

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Additional strikes targeted the Bureij refugee camp, the southern city of Rafah, and the Nuseirat camp, resulting in more casualties.

Since the conflict erupted more than 13 months ago, Gaza’s health ministry reports that 43,846 people have died, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the United Nations.

The war was ignited by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah’s stronghold near Beirut’s international airport, with plumes of smoke rising from the capital’s southern suburbs.

The strikes followed Israel’s warning for residents to evacuate.

Hezbollah responded with missile fire that set an Israeli tank ablaze in the village of Chamaa in southern Lebanon.

On the ground in Lebanon, the violence continues to escalate.

Israeli forces targeted the southern city of Tyre and areas near the Litani River, while the Lebanese health ministry reported that six people, including three children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley.

Since September 23, Israel has intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon, deploying ground troops and escalating air raids in response to Hezbollah’s support for Hamas.

The Israeli military has vowed to continue its offensive, stating that Hezbollah has “paid a big price” for its actions.

The latest Israeli casualties include a soldier killed during clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of Israeli fatalities to 48.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire.

A UN-backed report issued on November 9 warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza, where food aid has been nearly cut off due to ongoing hostilities.

Israel has rejected accusations of war crimes, with its foreign ministry calling a recent Human Rights Watch report “completely false.” The United States also dismissed the claims, stating that allegations of genocide are “certainly unfounded.”

In Israel, police arrested three suspects after flares were shot near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea, while protests in Tel Aviv continue to demand that the government secure a deal for the release of hostages still held by Hamas.

The protests followed the suspension of Qatar’s mediation efforts last week, with the country urging both sides to show “seriousness” in negotiations.

As the violence drags on, both Gaza and southern Lebanon face mounting casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis, with little progress toward peace or a resolution in sight.