On Tuesday, Dec. 6, China officially handed over an Agricultural Demonstration Center to Nigeria, completely built, new and stocked. The $6.3 million project, donated by China’s Ministry of Commerce, was begun in March, 2021, and completed in just over a year. The new center is located in a research park that already includes the Agricultural Technology Research and Service Center and other support institutions, thus adding another layer of food science development for the country.
At the handover ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jainchun emphasized that the focus of study at the center would extend far beyond just Nigeria: “Today’s event is really very important not only to Nigeria but also to the whole African continent,” he said, as reported by Nigerian Timeline citing his Twitter account. Directly referring to China’s feat of eliminating domestic poverty, Cui said, “This is my great concern and efforts that make me try to do things for Nigeria, and the most important thing now is agriculture.”
Accepting the donation on behalf of the Nigerian government, Chief Planning Officer for International Cooperation Department Fatima Sheji said that the project is coming at a time when the present administration is working to improve the quality of Nigeria’s agricultural products for export (to China). Sheji said that the skills acquired at the center will improve the “agricultural value chain,” and so address food insecurity. The project will also allow for “increasing foreign earnings through export mechanization, quality of seedlings, and use of technology for information and research.” Under President Buhari’s tenure, Nigeria has made tremendous strides in food production and is approaching self-sufficiency in rice, a critical staple food.
Notably, in their remarks, both speakers referred to the fight against food “insecurity,” which every Nigerian will understand as the “terrorism” that has plagued Nigeria. Thus the implied message: Fight terrorism with economic development.
