Nigeria-India Relations, Technical Cooperation, and Technology Transfer in the Pharmaceutical Sector

India's emergence as a major South-South development partner has added a significant dimension to Nigeria's bilateral diplomatic portfolio, particularly given India's status as the world's largest supplier of generic pharmaceuticals and its demonstrated capacity for technical cooperation in health, agriculture, and information technology. Nigeria-India relations, formalized through the Strategic Partnership established in 2007 and deepened through subsequent bilateral agreements, offer a compelling framework for examining technology transfer dynamics in the pharmaceutical sector. This study, anchored at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, investigates the substance, outcomes, and limitations of Nigeria-India pharmaceutical cooperation, with particular reference to generic drug supply, local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity building, and intellectual property negotiations between 2019 and 2024. A qualitative research design is employed, drawing on interviews with officials at Nigeria's Ministry of Health, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Indian High Commission representatives, and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders. Technology transfer theory and South-South cooperation frameworks provide the analytical foundation. Findings indicate that Nigeria-India pharmaceutical cooperation has improved generic drug affordability and supply reliability, contributing to Nigeria's health commodity security. However, meaningful technology transfer to enable local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity remains limited, with Indian partners prioritizing market access over industrial partnership. Intellectual property tensions between Indian generic producers and multinational pharmaceutical companies operating in Nigeria further complicate the policy landscape. The study recommends negotiating pharmaceutical investment agreements that incorporate binding local manufacturing content requirements. Keywords: Nigeria-India relations, pharmaceutical sector, technology transfer, South-South cooperation, generic drugs