Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima has applauded the over $1billion Nigeria-Brazil Green Imperative Agricultural Initiative.
Shettima made the commendation on Tuesday during the opening session of the 2nd Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that the initiative was a milestone in Nigeria’s renewed strategic alliance with Brazil, grounded in mutual respect and practical cooperation.
The vice-president said the long-standing relationship between both countries was not defined by geography but by common ambition.
Shettima said that the partnership represented a shared dream between two major democracies committed to practical outcomes and mutual prosperity.
“Brazil and Nigeria are not bound by geography, but by a shared dream. Two large, diverse democracies.
“Two economies with immense natural and human capital. Two nations with the right to dream and the ability to build,” he said.
Shettima emphasised the transformational impact of the Green Imperative Project, jointly developed by both nations.
According to him, the initiative aims to deploy over $1billion to deliver mechanised farming equipment, training, and service centres across Nigeria.
“This project will create jobs, raise productivity, and help secure Nigeria’s ambition to feed itself and others.
“The Green Imperative is a flagship of this partnership, and one we are determined to deliver,” he said.
Shettima reaffirmed the President Bola Tinubu ad- ministration’s commitment to economic reforms that were reshaping Nigeria’s investment landscape.
The vice-president said, “Fuel subsidies had been removed. The exchange rate had been unified. A new business facilitation regime has come into force.
“These decisions are not without cost, but they are restoring credibility to our markets and discipline to public finance.”
Shettima explained that Nigeria was laying the foundation for a $1trillion economy by 2030, with reforms spanning agriculture, energy, education, and public finance.
“We are moving from subsistence to scale in agriculture, and in energy, we are taking long-overdue steps to attract serious investment into gas production, refining, and renewables.
“We recognise Brazil’s experience in biofuels and renewable technologies and see clear opportunities for joint ventures, knowledge transfer, and co-investment,” he added.
Shettima called for enhanced cooperation in security, health, education, and innovation: “In health and education, our priorities are straightforward. “
We want to promote access, quality, and inclusion.
“From the rollout of a student loan scheme to digital learning platforms and expanded vocational training, we are investing in the minds and talents of our young people.
“The Memoranda of Understanding before our sister nations today speak to the breadth of this cooperation.
“But memoranda are only as meaningful as the follow-through they inspire. We must resist the temptation to confuse signing with solving,” he said.
Shettima urged both sides to agree on practical steps to measure and enforce progress.
He urged, “Let this Strategic Dialogue Mechanism not be remembered as a formal reunion, but as a decisive pivot—from aspiration to execution, from promise to proof.”
The Brazil’s Vice-President, Geraldo Alckmin, said the strengthening of the Brazil-Nigeria partnership was anchored on shared values and a concrete results agenda.
He said, “It is with great satisfaction that we witness the important results achieved in several fronts of cooperation.”
Alckmin highlighted Nigeria’s presence in the 2nd Brazil-Africa dialogue on food security held in Brasilia in May.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
