The Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy in Zimbabwe has piqued Nigeria’s interest. As a result, Nigeria dispatched a delegation to the Southern African country led by Abubakar Shaib Kyari, the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
- Nigeria is interested in Zimbabwe’s Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
- Nigerian Minister of Agriculture met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss agricultural practices and mechanization strategies.
- Nigeria is keen on learning from Zimbabwe’s mechanization strategy to improve agriculture back home.
During the visit, Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa met with the Nigerian minister at the state house in Harare to discuss agricultural practices and mechanization strategies, as per the Zimbabwean newspaper, The Herald.
The meeting was superseded by another meeting between the Nigerian minister of agriculture and Dr. Anxious Masuka, Zimbabwe’s minister of land, fisheries, water, and rural development, to discuss agricultural cooperation further.
“We have seen the trajectory, the efforts of President Mnangagwa, its tremendous and it is something that needs to be commended,” the Nigerian minister said during the meeting with Anxious Masuka.
Following the conversations, the Nigerian minister revealed to the media that he had been sent by the president of Nigeria, to study Zimbabwe’s agricultural revolution, and noted that Nigeria is interested in learning more about Zimbabwe’s mechanization strategy.
“We discussed with our president, and he said to go to Zimbabwe. Initially, I was not a part of the team, but the president said I should go to Zimbabwe. We are somehow around your situation five years ago,” Kyari stated.
He stated that young people in Nigeria will tremendously benefit from technology-driven agriculture methods.
“Young people that are viable age are running away from agriculture, it’s now for the elderly and the only way to incentivize agriculture is to make it easier and conducive like through mechanization,” Minister Kyari stated.
“We are improving but we still need to do more because of the challenge of a growing population. Mechanization makes it easy and at the same time, you have a fast turnaround, so that you prepare for another cycle,” he added.
According to Belarusian Industry Minister Alexander Rogozhnik, Zimbabwe is set to receive more than 3,000 tractor equipment units and 80 combine harvesters.
