NESG Partners States And Foreign Investors On Agriculture

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in line with its strategic partnership with the US Corporate Council for Africa, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Nigerian Embassy in the US, yesterday in Lagos held a meeting  with Commissioners of Agriculture and Commerce from Nigeria’s 36 States at the Southern Sun, Ikoyi. The one-day agribusiness investment meeting tagged: “Nigeria-focused Agribusiness Forum” is a prelude to Nigeria’s participation at the US-Africa Agribusiness Forum which is taking place in Washington D.C from the 10th-11th of April, 2012.

According to the Director General of the NESG, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr, ‘the objective of the meeting is to ensure that State governments and businesses that wish to participate at the forum come well prepared with adequate information to address investment concerns that may be raised by US Agribusinesses with respect to land administration, fiscal regimes and incentives in the respective states’

Speaking at the dialogue, the Chairman of the NESG’s Agriculture and Food Security Policy commission, Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere stressed the importance of Nigeria weaning itself off food importation. He said there is an urgent need for the country to develop existing local capacity for food production especially during this period of global economic recession and in view of recent adverse global weather conditions in regions from which Nigeria has traditionally imported staples such as rice.

During the interactive session of the meeting, many participants expressed concern about issues like standardization and certification of  produce and products, In response, Mr. Nweke Jr promised that the NESG will raise the issues with the relevant agencies.

In his concluding remarks Mr Nweke said  that the efforts of the NESG in promoting investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector is in consideration of its important contribution (42% of GDP) to our national economy and its potential to become a leading source of foreign exchange and employment generation.