President Bola Tinubu has pledged to eliminate all barriers hindering the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, including livestock development, in a bid to achieve food sovereignty and boost exports.
He made the commitment during a bilateral meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Copacabana Forte, where both leaders were joined by members of their respective cabinets.
According to presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu blamed bureaucratic delays for stalling the agricultural sector’s progress and assured that Nigeria was undergoing critical reforms to enhance global competitiveness, especially in agriculture, where it holds a natural advantage.
“All technical issues in agreements between Nigeria and Brazil will be streamlined and expedited,” Tinubu declared. He identified key areas of cooperation including trade, aviation, energy transition, agriculture, mining, and natural resource exploration.
He praised Brazil’s globally respected research and development institutions and expressed optimism that Nigeria could benefit from their expertise, particularly in agriculture and food production.
Tinubu also spotlighted his administration’s push to revitalise poultry, cattle rearing, and fisheries. He further noted the blue economy as a promising area for future collaboration.
He urged Nigeria’s subnational governments to play an active role in complementing federal efforts to turn agriculture into a major source of jobs and revenue.
President Lula welcomed the proposals and promised to regularise and update all outstanding agreements with Nigeria. He added that Brazilian research and development institutions would collaborate with Nigeria on livestock improvements, including health, genetics, and disease management.
“The bottlenecks and bureaucracy must be dismantled to see swift results,” Lula stressed.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the President’s unwavering commitment to achieving national food security through strong domestic and international partnerships. He said Nigeria’s growing fertiliser production capacity would serve as a strategic asset in this effort.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, identified three key areas for collaboration with Brazil: animal health and disease control, sanitary regulation, and research into genetic materials and improved breeds.
Governors who joined President Tinubu in the meeting included Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos). Also present were Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Governor Abiodun expressed the states’ readiness to align with the Federal Government’s efforts to revitalise agriculture. He said the inclusion of a business forum in Tinubu’s state visit would stimulate investment and innovative ideas to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.