On Monday, Nigeria and Brazil signed the commercial phase of the $1.1 billion Green Imperative Project (GIP), a landmark initiative aimed at transforming agriculture productivity and enhancing private-sector investment in Nigeria.
The GIP is Africa’s largest agricultural development project, focusing on sustainable, low-carbon farming practices. It is designed to create structural conditions that will drive efficient and competitive food production across Nigeria. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first phase of the GIP was originally signed in 2018. This was followed by the signing of GIP Phase 2 ($4.3 billion) and the $2.5 billion JBS agreement in Brazil during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit in 2024.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized that the project aligns with President Tinubu’s administration’s ongoing efforts to enhance food security.
“As this administration tackles food security challenges, it is also delivering on President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda. The GIP is a strategic initiative that supports policy continuity while boosting investor confidence,” Shettima stated.
He further noted that the GIP will directly link small-scale farmers to agricultural value chains, helping to address Nigeria’s long-standing issue of low agricultural productivity. Shettima described the GIP as a private-sector-led initiative that will empower smallholder farmers, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to scale their production.
“This initiative seamlessly aligns with our policies and programs, ensuring that small-scale farmers are fully integrated into Nigeria’s agricultural value chains. Agricultural entrepreneurship is ingrained in the Nigerian spirit, and this project provides the necessary support to harness that potential,” he added.
Brazil’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Garcete, highlighted Brazil’s long-standing commitment to the project, which has been in negotiations for the past seven years. He explained that the GIP will enable the importation and local assembly of agricultural equipment, including tractors and spare parts.
“In case of equipment breakdowns, repairs will be done in Nigeria by locally trained personnel, ensuring sustainability and job creation,” Garcete emphasized.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State hailed the agreement as a significant step toward economic transformation, stressing the crucial role of agriculture in Nigeria’s development. Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, representing Nigeria’s “Food Basket,” expressed excitement, pledging the state’s full support for the success of the GIP. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, described the agreement as a model for South-South cooperation, noting that Brazil’s agricultural success story could serve as a blueprint for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
With the implementation of the Green Imperative Project, Nigeria moves closer to achieving food security, increasing agricultural exports, and creating new economic opportunities for its farmers and agribusiness stakeholders.
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