Nigeria and Brazil have officially signed the commercial phase of the $1.1 billion Green Imperative Project (GIP), a transformative initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, ensuring food security, and attracting private-sector investment in Nigeria.
The GIP, Africa’s largest agricultural project, focuses on sustainable, low-carbon farming practices to improve food production efficiently and competitively. While the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first phase of the project was signed in 2018, additional phases—valued at $4.3 billion and $2.5 billion—were signed in Brazil last year during President Bola Tinubu’s visit.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized that the agreement aligns with the Tinubu administration’s eight-point agenda to tackle food security challenges. He highlighted that the initiative would strengthen investor confidence and drive economic growth by linking small-scale farmers to key agricultural value chains.
“We have been battling low agricultural productivity for decades. This project is a private-sector-driven initiative that integrates small-scale farmers into Nigeria’s agricultural value chains,” Shettima stated.
The Vice President credited the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation, and the Foreign Affairs Minister for their roles in facilitating the project.
Brazil’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Garcete, expressed pride in Brazil’s partnership with Nigeria on this ambitious initiative. “Over the past seven years, negotiations have taken place to secure financing from private and regional development banks for this $1.1 billion project,” he noted.
State governors also welcomed the agreement, emphasizing its potential to transform agriculture at the sub-national level. Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State described it as a vital step in boosting Nigeria’s agricultural economy, while Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State—the country’s food basket—assured full support for the project’s success.
With the commercial phase now signed, the Green Imperative Project is set to play a crucial role in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation and economic diversification efforts.