JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia, May 15, 2026 – The Indian Embassy in Liberia has announced that India will host the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) and the inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit in New Delhi from May 29 to June 1, 2026.
Ambassador Shri Manoj Bihari Verma made the disclosure on Thursday, May 14, 2026, during a press briefing at the Embassy of India in Monrovia, presenting the two upcoming events as landmark gatherings aimed at strengthening cooperation between India and African nations while advancing global environmental collaboration.
Ambassador Verma noted that the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit will take place on May 31 under the theme: “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.”
According to him, the summit will bring together African leaders, representatives of the African Union Commission, and regional economic communities for the first India-Africa summit in more than a decade.
He said the summit will focus on political and strategic cooperation, economic transformation and trade, education, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, climate action, connectivity, and cultural exchanges between India and Africa.
Alongside the formal summit meetings, India will host an India-Africa Business Dialogue and Exhibition on May 29 and 30 to strengthen commercial partnerships, investment linkages, and private-sector collaboration between India and African countries.
The Indian envoy also highlighted the inaugural Summit of the International Big Cat Alliance, scheduled for June 1, 2026, describing it as a historic global initiative focused on wildlife conservation. The summit is expected to attract heads of state and government, conservation experts, scientists, and policymakers from 95 countries in the big cat range across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
The summit’s theme is: “Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem.” Ambassador Verma said one of the key expected outcomes will be the adoption of the “Delhi Declaration,” which would become the first global declaration on big cat conservation.
The ambassador revealed that Liberia is among the 25 member countries of the IBCA and ratified the IBCA Framework Agreement on January 8, 2025, making it one of the alliance’s early committed members.
Turning to India-Liberia relations, Ambassador Verma said both countries continue to enjoy strong diplomatic ties built on friendship, trust, and mutual understanding. He emphasized India’s longstanding support to Liberia during periods of civil conflict and health emergencies, including the deployment of India’s all-women UN peacekeeping contingent to Liberia in 2007.
He further noted that bilateral relations between the two countries have expanded significantly in diplomacy, trade, development cooperation, education, and cultural exchanges.
According to him, more than 150 Liberians traveled to India in 2025 under various scholarship and training programs covering fields such as mining safety, nursing, trauma care, public administration, film, and media studies.
Ambassador Verma also highlighted recent cultural and diplomatic engagements between the two nations, including Liberia’s participation in the Surajkund International Crafts Mela in India and ongoing collaborations under development and educational partnerships.
In closing, he reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Liberia and the African continent through the upcoming summits and broader diplomatic cooperation.
