By Salisu Sani-Idris
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 imitative 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 administration’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.
He pointed out areas where the two countries had strengthened partnership and cooperation.
Alckmin said, “In the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in areas of agriculture and security, which will boost our cooperation.
“Our partnership has been strengthened also by the frequent high-level visits such as President Bola Tinubu’s recent participation in the G20 and the upcoming BRICS meeting in July.”
On climate issues, he said Brazil had the largest tropical forest in the world, which was a powerhouse in the green and low-carbon economy.
He stated that it was impossible to discuss the energy transition without including Brazil.
“I invite Nigeria, a country that also plays a leading role in these agendas, to come to COP30 in Belém at the end of this year.
“We must cooperate on these crucial issues for our countries and the world, and we have made a lot of progress,” he added.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, said the event marked the epoch of Nigeria-Brazil bilateral relations and a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation with mutual understanding.
He stated that both countries shared good relations dating back to the 1960s when Nigeria established diplomatic relations with Brazil.
He stated that the strategic dialogue was established to deepen ties between Nigeria and Brazil, with the first meeting held in 2013 in Brasilia, with emphasis on economic and social development.
The Ambassador of Brazil to Nigeria, Carlos Garcete, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, explained that Nigeria and Brazil shared deep historical and cultural ties.
He stated that the reintegration of Brazil into the global stage has been the preoccupation and foreign policy direction of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
According to him, within that context, relations with Africa were a top priority. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
