The government of Saudi Arabia has made it known that it is interested in setting up manufacturing factories in Nigeria for farming equipment.
Gatekeepers News reports that Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari has revealed this through a statement on his official X account on Saturday.
Before the announcement, the minister had a meeting with stakeholders from the Middle East state.
According to Kyari, the aim is to support Nigeria’s agricultural sector through mechanization by establishing plants in the country.
The minister also revealed that the Middle Eastern country has pledged to purchase 200,000 metric tons of red meat annually and one million tons of soya from Nigeria.
He emphasised that the initiative would further strengthen the agricultural sector and increase the country’s production capacity.
Kyari said, “Following our fruitful discussions, the Minister of Agriculture of Saudi Arabia paid a return visit to Nigeria. During his two-day stay, we facilitated engagements with our agri-business entrepreneurs. These interactions were highly productive, leading to far-reaching discussions and mutual understanding.”
“Shortly after the visit, we received an expression of interest from Saudi Arabia, indicating their desire to procure 200,000 metric tons of red meat annually, as well as one million tons of soya. I want to assure everyone that the supply of these valuable commodities will not affect Nigeria’s domestic consumption.”
“Additionally, the Saudi government has expressed their willingness to support our country with mechanization by establishing factories for the manufacture of farm equipment. This will further bolster our agricultural sector and enhance our capacity for sustainable production.”
