Six years after its initial agreement, Nigeria and Brazil have officially signed the commercial phase of the $1.1 billion Green Imperative Project (GIP).
This marks a significant step toward enhancing food security and agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the deal at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to economic growth, policy continuity, and private-sector-driven agricultural development.
GIP, the largest agricultural project in Africa which priotises the development of sustainable, low-carbon agriculture, aims to develop structural conditions to boost food production in Nigeria in an efficient and competitive manner.
The deal for the $1.1 billion GIP 1 was signed in 2018, while the $4.3 billion phase 2 of the project and the $2.5 billion JBS were signed in Brazil during President Tinubu’s visit to that country last year.
Sen Shettima has described the signing of the commercial phase of the GIP 1 as part of ongoing efforts by the administration of President Tinubu to enhance food security in the country.
He said: “As this administration addresses the food security challenges we are facing and dovetails the 8-point agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is imperative for us to synergise and use existing initiatives such as the GIP for the purpose of policy continuity, for the purpose of utilising or leveraging on strategic opportunities to drive our economic growth and also to enhance investor confidence.”
According to a statement, Shettima noted that while the GIP aligned with all the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, it will link small-scale farmers with all the agricultural value chains in the country.
He said: “We have been battling with low agricultural productivity for decades, and as I have always said, entrepreneurial capitalism is embedded in the very psyche of the average Nigerian, but what our people are lacking is the wherewithal to be placed on the first ladder of development.
“This GIP is a wonderful opportunity because it seamlessly aligns with all the policies and programmes of this government. It’s a private sector driven initiative that targets the small-scale farmer and links him up with all the agricultural value chains.
“Today, to me, is a highpoint of our leadership in this country. Yes, we have started seven years behind but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. 2025 as rightly captured by His Excellency, the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, is a milestone year in our journey towards food security and diversification of our nation’s economy.”
