Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday applauded the over $1 billion Green Imperative agricultural initiative between Nigeria and Brazil, saying it is a milestone in the two countries renewed strategic alliance, grounded in mutual respect and practical cooperation.

Specifically, Shettima said the partnership represents a shared dream between two major democracies committed to practical outcomes and mutual prosperity.

Speaking during the opening session of the 2nd Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM) at the State House, Abuja, the vice-president said the longstanding relationship between both countries is not defined by geography but by common ambition.

Shettima had earlier received the Brazilian Vice-President, Geraldo Alckmin, his wife, Maria Lúcia Alckmin, and members of the Brazilian delegation shortly after their arrival in Abuja for the SDM.

According to Nigeria’s vice-president: “Brazil and Nigeria are not bound by geography, but by a shared dream. Two large, diverse democracies. Two economies with immense natural and human capital. Two nations with the right to dream and the ability to build.”

He emphasised the transformational impact of the Green Imperative Project, jointly developed by both nations, which aims to deploy over $1 billion to deliver mechanised farming equipment, training and service centres across Nigeria.

“This project will create jobs, raise productivity, and help secure Nigeria’s ambition to feed itself and others. The Green Imperative is a flagship of this partnership, and one we are determined to deliver,” he said.

Shettima also used the occasion to reaffirm the President Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to economic reforms that are reshaping Nigeria’s investment landscape.

His words: “Fuel subsidies have been removed. The exchange rate has been unified. A new business facilitation regime has come into force. These decisions are not without cost, but they are restoring credibility to our markets and discipline to public finance.”

The vice-president explained that Nigeria is laying the foundation for a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030, with reforms spanning agriculture, energy, education and public finance.

He said: “We are moving from subsistence to scale in agriculture, and in energy, we are taking long-overdue steps to attract serious investment into gas production, refining and renewables. We recognise Brazil’s experience in biofuels and renewable technologies and see clear opportunities for joint ventures, knowledge transfer and co-investment.”

Shettima called for enhanced cooperation in security, health, education and innovation: “In health and education, our priorities are straightforward. We want to promote access, quality and inclusion. From the rollout of a student loan scheme to digital learning platforms and expanded vocational training, we are investing in the minds and talents of our young people.

“The Memoranda of Understanding before our sister nations today speak to the breadth of this cooperation. But memoranda are only as meaningful as the follow-through they inspire. We must resist the temptation to confuse signing with solving,” he said.

Urging both sides to agree on practical steps to measure and enforce progress, the vice-president said: “Let this Strategic Dialogue Mechanism not be remembered as a formal reunion, but as a decisive pivot—from aspiration to execution, from promise to proof.”

Also speaking, Brazil’s Vice-President, Alckmin, said the strengthening of the Brazil-Nigeria partnership is anchored on shared values and a concrete results agenda, noting that: “It is with great satisfaction that we witness the important results achieved in several fronts of cooperation.”

Alckmin highlighted Nigeria’s presence in the 2nd Brazil-Africa dialogue on food security held in Brasilia last May, pointing out areas where the two countries have strengthened partnership and cooperation.

He said: “In the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in areas of agriculture and security, which will boost our cooperation, our partnership has been strengthened also by the frequent high-level visits such as President Bola Tinubu’s recent participation in the G20 and the upcoming BRICS meeting in July.”

On climate issues, the Brazilian vice-president said his country has the largest tropical forest in the world, which is a powerhouse in the green and low-carbon economy, just as he stated that it is impossible to discuss the energy transition without including Brazil.

“I invite Nigeria, a country that also plays a leading role in these agendas, to come to COP30 in Belém at the end of this year. We must cooperate on these crucial issues for our countries and the world, and we have made a lot of progress,” he added.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said the event marked the epoch of Nigeria-Brazil bilateral relations and a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation with mutual understanding through people-to-people exchange between both countries.

He noted that both countries share good relations dating back to the 1960s when Nigeria established diplomatic relations with Brazil.

The minister disclosed that the Strategic Dialogue was established to deepen ties between Nigeria and Brazil, with the first meeting held in 2013 in Brasilia with emphasis on economic and social development.

On his part, the Ambassador of Brazil to Nigeria, Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, who represented Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, explained that Nigeria and Brazil share deep historical and cultural ties, both recognizing their common identities, one of which is the warm friendliness and affection they received in Nigeria, attesting to the strong bond between both countries.

According to him, the reintegration of Brazil into the global stage has been the preoccupation and foreign policy direction of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and within that context, relations with Africa are a top priority.

Garcete stressed that this is not because of Africa’s growing global importance but because Brazil’s policy towards Africa is directly linked to its domestic agenda.

He noted that President Lula has said in the 2nd session of the Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Fight against Hunger, and Rural Development that: “Africa is part of Brazil and Brazil is proud to say that it is part of Africa.

“We intend to build partnerships with Africa in developing economic, social and environmental initiatives, in particular to eradicate hunger and poverty and to reduce inequality on both sides of the planet,” he added.

Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, stated that the strategic dialogue meeting is not just a meeting of two friendly nations but a meeting to share a vision for peace, security and sustainable development both in their respective regions and on the global stage.

Abubakar noted that the strategic meeting offers another opportunity to consolidate the gains and chart a new path for the future, as the two countries will seize the unique opportunity to deepen defence cooperation in four key areas, namely maritime security in the South Atlantic, acknowledging that Brazil’s role in this is well recognised.

For his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, informed the delegation that the strategy of operation for food security under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu is gaining high momentum of development in Nigeria.

He called for more partnership with Brazil in agriculture as the sector “remains a cornerstone in livelihood and food security”.

Other ministers, who spoke at the opening ceremony, included the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako. 

Seven MoUs spanning critical sectors, including agriculture, defence, energy, culture and counter-narcotics, were signed on the first day of the meeting, with others lined up for the coming days.

The first MoU signed was an Addendum to the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM), signed by Vice-President Shettima on behalf of Nigeria and his Brazilian counterpart. The document reaffirms the guiding framework for Nigeria-Brazil cooperation, first established over a decade ago.

The second was the Agreement on Defence Cooperation, signed by the Vice-President of Brazil and Nigeria’s Minister of Defence. The agreement opens new avenues for collaboration in military training, intelligence sharing and defence technology.

In the energy sector, both countries signed an MoU in the Field of Technical Cooperation on Energy, outlining joint plans in electricity generation, renewable energy development and energy access solutions.

Others were the signing of an Addendum to the MoU on Cooperation in Livestock, Agriculture, and Food Security; MoU on Audiovisual Cooperation; MoU on Tourism Cooperation; and Cooperation in Combating the Illicit Production, Manufacture, and Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances signed by the Director of International Cooperation of the Brazilian Federal Police and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).