Ukrainian Food and Agrarian Policy Minister Mykola Solskyi has underlined the country’s commitment to establishing grain hubs in Nigeria.
The minister said that the development of such a center will make it possible to bring high-quality beans to Nigeria, which will positively influence prices in the country.
He made it known during a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian Food and Agrarian Policy Minister Mykola Solskyi and Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, next month, grains from Ukraine would be arriving in Nigeria under the so-called ‘Ukrainian Grain’ initiative.
Solskyi noted that feeling the capacity and size of Nigeria, a grain hub in the country, is a number one priority and if both countries manage to implement it, it would be a practical step towards business reaching a new level.
He argued that it is very important for Ukraine to develop healthy relations that have been created between Nigerian and Ukrainian companies in the last ten years.
He said that despite the war, the Ukrainian food industry wants to have closer relations with Nigeria.
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He explained that Ukraine had already negotiated with Dakar and Senegal two days ago, and he is happy that Nigeria is ready to consider that possibility in a Nigerian port.
“We are very grateful that your country is ready to develop these relations.
“I believe that despite all the events that are happening in the world, our countries are fully prepared to develop this cooperation.
“We want to have regular contact every year at the level of ministers, not only Ministers of Agriculture, but also other ministers.
“The President of Ukraine supports this idea and Ukraine intends to develop hubs in two or three ports in West Africa,” Solskyi said.
In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Abubakar, stated that 30 percent or more of Nigeria’s agricultural business is with Ukraine in the area of wheat, fertilizers and other grains.
He opined that the ports of Lagos and Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, are being considered as the proposed hubs, and assured that the relationship between Nigeria and Ukraine will only improve, especially in the agricultural sector.
Abubakar expressed the Nigerian government’s gratitude to the Ukrainian government, saying that despite the ongoing war in the country, he still found time to extend the gesture to Nigeria.
Also speaking, Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama noted that the hand of friendship extended by Ukraine has shown superhuman courage and generosity despite fighting the war.
He thanked the Ukrainian government and said that Nigeria cannot thank Ukraine for the hand of friendship and support, not only to Nigeria, but to other African countries.
“Nigeria has had long-standing and close relations with Ukraine, one of the casualties of the war in Ukraine has been a large number of Nigerian students whom Ukraine had been educating in many important fields and disciplines,” he said.
