President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to remove all bottlenecks hindering the realisation of the agricultural sector’s potential, including livestock production, to enable food sovereignty and export.
This was as he said that Nigeria was already undergoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness, particularly in agriculture, where it already has a competitive advantage.
Tinubu, who stated these at a bilateral meeting held at the Copacabana Forte with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and some members of both countries’ cabinets, noted that bureaucracy contributes to delays in realising the agricultural sector’s potential.
The President assured that all technicalities in agreements between the two countries will be streamlined and fast-tracked in trade, aviation, energy transition, food and agricultural development, mining, and natural resources exploration.
Tinubu noted that Brazil’s research and development services had been exemplary for most countries, with the country rated as one of the highest producers of food and agricultural products.
On livestock farming, Tinubu highlighted the efforts of his administration to boost investments in poultry, cattle rearing, and fisheries, adding that the blue economy also holds potential for long-term partnerships between Nigeria and Brazil.
The President said Nigeria was ready for a strong partnership and immediate action to stimulate food production, adding that the sub-nationals have a pivotal role in food and animal production in Nigeria by complementing the federal government’s efforts to use agriculture as a significant source of employment and resource mobilisation.
In his own remarks, President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, assured that all agreements with Nigeria would be regularised, and the MOUs would be updated and signed without delay during President Tinubu’s next visit.
Da Silva said the lingering bureaucracy between the two countries must be removed to achieve quick results, adding that Brazil’s research and development institutions will collaborate with Nigeria to enhance livestock farming.
Speaking in turn, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, noted that President Tinubu had consistently insisted on food security for Nigeria, and the mandate would be actualised through local and global partnerships.
Kyari noted that Nigeria already had a competitive advantage in fertiliser production that could easily be enhanced.
Similarly, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, highlighted three areas of partnership with Brazil, including health and disease management, sanitary services, and research into genetic materials and new breeds.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the governors of Benue State, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia; Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago; Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; and Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, attended the bilateral meeting.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed, also participated in the bilateral meeting.
Speaking in turn, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the sub-nationals would support the federal government’s framework to revamp the agricultural sector.
Abiodun noted that both leaders’ decision to include a business forum during President Tinubu’s state visit to the country will inject fresh ideas and resources, enabling quick results in turning around Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
