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Nigeria’s drive to expand non-oil exports gained fresh momentum on Monday as the Federal Government and Brazil moved to operationalise a bilateral agro-trade partnership that will open new commercial opportunities for Nigerian exporters, processors and agribusiness investors.
The breakthrough, announced at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, marks a shift from diplomatic commitments to concrete market access, with Brazil set to admit Nigerian exports of hibiscus, sesame and shea butter once final phytosanitary procedures are completed.
For businesses across the agricultural value chain, the development signals the emergence of a new export corridor into one of the world’s largest agricultural economies, with potential gains extending beyond farmers to processors, logistics operators, certification firms, exporters and financial institutions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima said the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism had progressed from discussions to implementation, describing the latest milestone as evidence that both countries were now focused on delivering measurable economic outcomes.
“We have moved with deliberate steps from dialogue to delivery, from agreements to implementation, and from shared ambition to outcomes that can be counted, weighed and shipped,” he said during a high-level Nigeria-Brazil Agro-Trade Market Access meeting with a Brazilian delegation led by the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André Carlos Alves de Paula Filho.
The Vice President said technical structures established under the bilateral agriculture and livestock cooperation framework were already operational, with dedicated working groups focusing on dairy and livestock genetics, soybean productivity, agricultural policy and agro-climatic risk zoning.
The partnership stems from agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil, where both governments acknowledged that agricultural trade between the two countries remained significantly below its potential despite their vast agricultural resources.
Shettima said months of regulatory engagement involving government agencies, technical experts and private sector stakeholders had now produced the first tangible commercial outcomes.
He noted that the partnership was designed to create opportunities across Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem, from production and processing to exports, while strengthening value addition before products reach international markets.
Brazil also pledged to deepen institutional cooperation through the appointment of an Agricultural Attaché in Abuja and increased collaboration with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), moves expected to accelerate technology transfer and technical support.
For Nigerian exporters, perhaps the most immediate commercial gain is Brazil’s commitment to open its market to hibiscus, sesame and shea butter.
Brazilian Agriculture Minister André Carlos Alves de Paula Filho disclosed that officials were in the final stages of preparing the phytosanitary certification required to facilitate imports of the products from Nigeria.
Once completed, he said, Brazil would actively connect Nigerian exporters with Brazilian buyers to stimulate commercial transactions rather than leaving market access as a purely diplomatic arrangement.
The move could strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings at a time the government is seeking to reduce dependence on crude oil revenues and improve foreign exchange inflows through agricultural exports.
It could also encourage fresh investment in agro-processing, quality assurance, storage, packaging and export logistics as producers work to meet Brazil’s import standards.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described Brazil as a global model in agricultural transformation, saying the renewed partnership would accelerate Nigeria’s export ambitions under the Tinubu administration.
He maintained that the bilateral initiative was already strengthening commercial relations between both countries while positioning Nigerian agricultural products for wider international acceptance.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State also welcomed the initiative, noting that his state accounts for about 75 per cent of Nigeria’s non-oil exports.
He pledged the state’s support for the implementation of the agreement, saying sub-national participation would be critical to unlocking the full economic benefits of the partnership.
For investors, the significance of the Nigeria-Brazil initiative extends beyond the initial list of export commodities. The agreement creates a framework for deeper collaboration in agricultural technology, research, livestock development and value-chain investments, while offering Nigerian businesses access to one of the world’s most sophisticated agricultural markets.
If effectively implemented, analysts say the partnership could strengthen Nigeria’s export competitiveness, stimulate private investment across the agricultural value chain and reinforce the country’s broader strategy of building a more diversified, export-driven economy.
