Nigeria, Brazil Advance Agriculture Trade Deal As Shettima Confirms Implementation

Nigeria and Brazil have entered the implementation phase of their bilateral agriculture and livestock partnership, marking a significant step toward expanding agricultural trade, boosting exports and strengthening private-sector cooperation between both countries.

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the development on Monday during the Nigeria–Brazil Agro-Trade Market Access Milestone meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saying the partnership had progressed beyond diplomatic engagements to practical commercial activities.

According to a statement issued by the Presidency, businesses in both countries can now begin trading under the framework of the agreement following months of technical collaboration between regulatory agencies, government institutions and private-sector stakeholders.

"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. This is precisely how enduring partnerships evolve," Shettima said.

The Vice President, who co-chairs the Nigeria–Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism alongside Brazil's Vice President, Geraldo Alckmin, said the latest milestone demonstrates that commitments made by both governments are beginning to produce measurable economic outcomes.

He described the meeting as another important phase in the partnership initiated after President Bola Tinubu's state visit to Brazil, noting that diplomatic engagements had now translated into concrete commercial opportunities.

"The true measure of global partnership is not in the agreements signed but in their implementation and the benefits accruing to citizens of both countries who are the beneficiaries," he said.

Shettima disclosed that the Nigeria–Brazil Joint Agriculture and Livestock Technical Working Group is now fully operational, with specialised teams focusing on dairy development, livestock genetics, soybean productivity, agricultural policy and agro-climatic risk zoning.

He recalled that Presidents Bola Tinubu and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had agreed that agricultural trade between Nigeria and Brazil remained far below its potential and instructed officials from both countries to identify opportunities to expand trade, investment and technical cooperation.

According to him, the market access achievements announced at the meeting represent the first major outcomes of that presidential directive.

"I am pleased that we can today report the first tangible fruits of that presidential directive. The market access milestones we announce are the product of months of disciplined collaboration between our ministries, our regulatory authorities, our technical experts and our private-sector partners," he said.

"They show what becomes possible when political leadership is matched by strong institutions and by the humility to do the unglamorous work of implementation."

The Vice President also commended Brazil's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Andre Carlos Alves de Paula Filho, for deepening cooperation between both countries, describing his visit as a demonstration of the strong relationship shared by Nigeria and Brazil.

According to Shettima, the partnership is expected to deliver direct benefits to farmers, processors and exporters across Nigeria.

"It affirms our shared determination to fashion a partnership that delivers practical benefit to the farmer in Jigawa, to the processor in Kwara, to the exporter in Lagos, and to the households in Sao Paulo and Brasília who will one day consume the fruits of our soil," he said.

He further welcomed Brazil's decision to appoint an Agricultural Attache to Abuja and expand the activities of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) in Nigeria, describing both initiatives as important steps toward strengthening technical cooperation.

Brazil's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Andre Carlos Alves de Paula Filho, said his country was committed to expanding market access for Nigerianagricultural products, including hibiscus, sesame seeds and shea butter.

According to him, Brazilian authorities are in the final stages of preparing the phytosanitary certification required to facilitate the export of those products into the Brazilian market.

"I am pleased to inform you that the technical staff of Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is in the final stages of preparing the phytosanitary certificate proposal required to enable these exports.

"Once this work is completed, we will also facilitate contacts between Nigerian exporters and potential Brazilian buyers, creating concrete commercial opportunities for these products in the Brazilian market," he said.

Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, who attended the meeting, welcomed the partnership and said the state accounts for about 75 per cent of Nigeria's non-oil exports, pledging support for the implementation of the initiative.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari also said the agreement reached between Presidents Tinubu and Lula was already accelerating agricultural cooperation between both countries and would help fast-track Nigerian exports into the Brazilian market.

The Nigeria–Brazil partnership forms part of the Federal Government's broader strategy to diversify exports, attract agricultural investment and strengthen food security through deeper international trade and technical collaboration.