India to Send Multi-Sector Business Mission to Ghana and Nigeria to Expand West African Trade

India is preparing a major multi-sector business mission to Ghana and Nigeria from September 20 to 26, 2026, as Indian exporters look to expand their presence in two of West Africa’s most important markets.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations, with support from the Indian diplomatic mission, is assembling a delegation of selected Indian companies for business engagements in Accra and Lagos. The programme is designed specifically to connect Indian companies with prospective African buyers through focused business-to-business meetings rather than functioning merely as a trade exhibition.

The breadth of the delegation reflects India’s growing commercial ambitions in Africa. FIEO has identified chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, engineering goods, iron and steel products, automobiles and auto components, mining, textiles, ready-made garments, carpets, gems and jewellery, precious metals and food products among the priority sectors.

Food exporters dealing in products such as rice, tea, coffee and marine products are also being encouraged to participate, while Indian companies involved in Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects are part of the mission’s target group.

The choice of Ghana and Nigeria gives the delegation access to two very different but complementary West African markets.

Ghana has developed into an increasingly important destination for Indian manufactured goods. India exported goods worth approximately $1.35 billion to Ghana during FY2024-25, up from about $1.10 billion the previous year. Total bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately $3.14 billion.

Pharmaceuticals are already one of India’s strongest products in the Ghanaian market. Indian exports of packaged medicaments to Ghana rose from about $139 million in 2023 to more than $202 million in 2024. Exports of construction and earth-moving machinery also increased sharply, while Indian commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, rice, aluminium cables and mineral-processing machinery have built a substantial market presence.

That existing trade profile closely matches the sectors FIEO is taking to Accra.

Indian companies are also already embedded in Ghana’s economy. Businesses including Tata, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, Escorts, Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji, along with pharmaceutical, manufacturing and SME companies, have established operations or commercial links there. Indian investment has spread into agriculture, pharmaceuticals, construction, manufacturing, agro-processing and services.

Ghana, meanwhile, is an important supplier to India. Its exports include gold, cocoa, cashew nuts, timber and other commodities, giving the relationship a two-way character rather than making Ghana simply a market for Indian goods.

Nigeria offers an even larger commercial opportunity.

With more than 200 million people and one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria has historically been one of India’s most important trading partners on the continent. India and Nigeria have maintained a Strategic Partnership since 2007, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s November 2024 visit renewed cooperation across trade, agriculture, health, education and security.

Indian exports to Nigeria already include pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, two- and three-wheelers and manufactured goods, while India imports commodities including crude oil, cashew nuts and sesame seeds. Bilateral trade reached approximately $7.89 billion in 2023-24, although this was below earlier peaks because Indian purchases of Nigerian crude had declined.

More recent Department of Commerce data underline Nigeria’s continuing importance. India recorded approximately $3.13 billion of exports to Nigeria and $5.9 billion of imports during FY2025-26, making Nigeria one of India’s significant African trading partners.

Lagos is therefore a logical destination for the delegation. It is Nigeria’s principal commercial and industrial centre and offers Indian manufacturers access not only to the Nigerian market but potentially to wider distribution networks across West Africa.

The mission also reflects a broader shift in India’s engagement with Africa.

For decades, Indian companies established strong African positions in pharmaceuticals, automobiles, agricultural machinery and consumer products. The next phase increasingly involves industrial equipment, infrastructure, mining technology, engineering services and local manufacturing partnerships.

The inclusion of EPC companies is particularly notable. African governments are investing heavily in roads, power systems, housing, water infrastructure, industrial facilities and transport networks. Indian engineering companies already possess extensive experience delivering projects across developing economies, often under competitive cost structures.

Mining is another promising area. African countries possess major reserves of copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese, gold and other minerals increasingly important for India’s expanding EV, electronics, renewable-energy and advanced-manufacturing industries.

At the same time, African governments are increasingly seeking more local processing and value addition rather than simply exporting raw materials. Indian companies entering these markets may therefore find growing opportunities not only in equipment exports but in joint ventures, mineral processing plants, manufacturing facilities and technology partnerships.

Pharmaceuticals remain one of India’s strongest advantages.

Affordable Indian generic medicines already have a substantial presence across Africa. Ghana’s rapidly growing imports of Indian pharmaceuticals illustrate the opportunity for companies supplying medicines, APIs, medical equipment and healthcare-related products.

Automobiles and engineering goods provide another major opening. Indian two-wheelers, three-wheelers, commercial vehicles, tractors and machinery are often well suited to African operating conditions because they combine relatively low acquisition costs with rugged engineering and established servicing networks.

The September mission therefore appears designed not simply to increase shipment volumes but to create direct commercial relationships between Indian manufacturers and African distributors, importers, project developers and industrial companies.

Focused B2B meetings are central to that strategy. Instead of relying solely on large trade fairs, participating companies can meet buyers specifically selected around their sectors and assess requirements such as product certification, distribution networks, pricing, logistics and after-sales service.

For Indian exporters, Ghana and Nigeria can also serve as gateways into the wider Economic Community of West African States market, although actual market access still depends on national regulations and evolving regional trade arrangements.

The initiative comes as India attempts to diversify exports across a wider group of emerging economies and reduce dependence on a limited number of traditional markets.

Africa’s growing population, urbanisation and infrastructure requirements make the continent increasingly important to that strategy.

The September 20–26 mission is therefore more than a routine exporter delegation. By simultaneously targeting pharmaceuticals, machinery, automobiles, steel, mining, textiles, food and infrastructure projects, India is taking a broad manufacturing-and-services proposition into West Africa.

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