November 13, 2007

Nigeria hopes to partner China in livestock development

The governments of Nigeria and China are working jointly in the commercial livestock sector to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Nigerians under its redesigned National Programme on Food Security.

Reliefweb reported that Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Abba Sayyadi Ruma said Nigeria expects partnership in capacity building, cooperatives development, micro-credit financing and technology acquisition to boost livestock production for local consumption and export.

Ruma was saying this at a meeting in which the country received bird flu support materials from the Chinese government through the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Xu Jianguo.

Ruma said China extended similar support to Nigeria barely two months after the first outbreak of the bird flu in the country in April, 2006.

The Chinese Ambassador told the Minister that Nigeria remained a strategic partner in the sub region and that China's assistance was bereft of any ulterior motive.

Western media views China's friendship with African countries as a move to secure oil and other natural resources.

Xu also explained that China had provided similar assistance in the past by supplying mosquito nets and anti-malaria drugs, as well as constructing boreholes to boost water supply in the nation.

Meanwhile, Ruma added that Nigeria is seeking USAID partnership in cassava production. Nigeria has over 40 million tonnes annual output.

USAID, under its US$11.7 million Cassava Enterprise Development Project (CEDP), has distributed disease-resistant cassava varieties to about 120,000 farmers.