The Ukrainian government says it has concluded plans to set up grain hubs across Nigeria, OduNews reports.
This was disclosed during a bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, Solskyi said Ukraine is interested and ready to develop grain hubs in Africa.
Solskyi also said Ukraine had held negotiations in Dakar, Senegal, and it was delighted that Nigeria was ready to consider such possibility in a port in Nigeria.
The Ukrainian Minister stated that developing such a hub will make it possible to bring high-quality grains to Nigeria, which will also impact positively the dynamics of prices in the country.
“President of Ukraine supports this idea and we intend to develop hubs in two or three ports in West Africa,” Solskyi said.
He further said that taking into consideration the capacity and size of Nigeria, the grain hub in the country should be a priority.
He stated that if both countries manage to implement the proposal, it will be a practical step towards business, reaching a new level.
Earlier, Solskyi said for Ukraine, it was very important to deepen the healthy relations which have been created between Nigerian and Ukrainian businesses over the past ten years.
The Ukrainian Minister further hinted that from next month, grains from Ukraine will be arriving in Nigeria under an initiative called ‘Grain from Ukraine.’
He said despite the war, the Ukrainian food industry wants to have closer relations with Nigeria.
“And we are very thankful to you that your country is ready to develop this relationship.
In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, expressed appreciation to the Government of Ukraine that despite the ongoing war in the country, it still found time to extend the gesture to Nigeria. “We thank you very much for that. But not only that, you also are planning to have a grain hub in Nigeria which we also appreciate. Nigeria is very willing and ready to provide the appropriate port facilities for the grain hub in the country.
“I can assure you that the relationship between Nigeria and Ukraine will only improve. We have been having a business, especially in the agricultural sector with Ukraine.
“I can say that 30 per cent or more of our agricultural business is with Ukraine, especially in the area of wheat, in the area of fertiliser and other grains.”
“And this can assure you that we will continue to try and improve on that relationship,” Abubakar said.
The Agric Minister further said the Lagos and Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were being considered as the proposed hubs.
For his part, Onyeama said Nigeria cannot thank Ukraine enough that notwithstanding the situation in the country, it was able to reach out a hand of friendship and support to, not just Nigeria, but other African countries.
“This demonstrates superhuman courage and we really admire, as well as the generosity that comes with it. So, we truly thank you enormously for this support,” Onyeama said.
While saying that Nigeria has had long-standing, close relations with Ukraine, Onyeamaadded that one of the victims of the war in Ukraine has been a large number of Nigerian students whom Ukraine had been educating in many important fields and disciplines.
