Nigeria is naturally endowed with abundant agricultural products sought after in international markets. The country is the second largest producer of sorghum in the world and contributes a significant percentage of the production of yams, sesame seeds, gum Arabic, millet, cocoa beans, maize, and cashew nuts, among others.
Recently, Ministers of five Nordic countries visited Nigeria and indicated interest in opening their markets to Nigeria’s agro products within the framework of multilateral relations with Nigeria, significantly boosting bilateral trade on the platform of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar hosted his counterparts from those countries- Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark. Areas of collaboration include trade and investment, renewable energy, the war against terrorism and violent extremism, education, science, technology, and innovation.
The visiting ministers include Mr Tobias Billström of Sweden; Ms Elina Valtonen Finland; Ms Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir Iceland; Ms Bjørg Sandkjær, State Secretary for International Development, Norway and Ms Eva Marie Frida Barløse, Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Denmark.
Billström said, “The Nordic countries and Nigeria have a long-standing tradition with a strong partnership that dates back more than 50 years. Nigeria is not only one of our largest trading partners in Africa, but it is also a stable ally in upholding international law, addressing issues of climate change, and countering the spread of violent extremism in West Africa.”
In a similar development, countries within the Caribbean region have indicated interest in assisting Nigeria in boosting agriculture and food security, especially in this period of food shortages, and in opening their markets for Nigerian agro-products and other products.
The Consular General of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Levi Odoe made this known while briefing reporters in Abuja on the need for Nigeria to exploit the skill and expertise of the Caribbean nations to boost its food production capacity.
It is heartwarming that some Nigerian entrepreneurs are already exploiting the opportunities presented by the South America Cooperation to expand their exports to countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, and Guyana.
This has become necessary to enhance existing good relations between the Nigerian government and countries in the Caribbean. To facilitate this, more direct flight routes are being created besides Antigua, including Guyana and St Lucia.
However, we are concerned that Nigeria has not quite taken full advantage of the policy of processing its agricultural products into finished goods so as to add more value to them and earn foreign exchange. It is also more worrying that even the primary products that Nigeria has in abundance have not satisfactorily created a structure that will enable it to access markets around the world.
Not too long ago, as a leading yam producer in the world, Nigeria made efforts to export yams to the United States’ markets. However, this laudable effort failed abysmally because the country did not meet the standard practice required for preservation and was, therefore, rejected in that country’s market.
The 72 tonnes of yam that left Nigeria’s shores through Apapa port to the United States in June 2017 were rejected despite the euphoria that greeted the historic export, which was officially flagged off by the former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, in Lagos. The most unfortunate aspect of the story was that the yams were found to be rotten upon arrival in the US.
Nigeria accounts for 61 per cent of the world’s total yam output, but 30 per cent of that is wasted due to a lack of preservation facilities. Nigerian yams were rejected at foreign markets due to their high toxicity when tested, which was caused by the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and herbicides during production.
We urge the government to collaborate with stakeholders to boost yam production and export. Nigerian farmers need to adopt the right production mechanisms to produce yams that meet the standards of global markets. It is pertinent to recall that Nigeria’s attempt to export beans to the European Union markets also did not meet the desired results and the products were rejected.
For products such as sorghum, sesame seeds, and cocoa beans, some foreign companies have already taken over the procurement of these items from Nigerian markets and supplied them to international markets, thereby taking control of the export due to easy access to credit facilities from their home countries.
We are also worried about Nigeria’s inability to take advantage of its membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is instructive that Nigeria’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala is the WTO’s Director General, but Nigeria cannot ship much of its agro-products to the world’s markets.
It is widely acknowledged that Nigerian agricultural products are very good, but the country must create a structure to allow them to access the global markets. The country must exploit its membership of the WTO and make Nigerian agricultural products available in South and Latin America, the Caribbean, the EU, the US, and other countries where Nigerians are resident.
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