Iran and Nigeria discuss agricultural cooperation at BRICS meeting

Iran's Deputy Agriculture Minister Mohammad Ghezeljeh met with his Nigerian counterpart Abubakar Kyari on the sidelines of the BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Conference in Indore, India. The two officials discussed expanding agricultural cooperation, technology and technical-knowhow transfer, and implementation of joint projects.

Ghezeljeh expressed gratitude for Nigeria's condolences following recent US-Israeli aggressions against Iran, which resulted in the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and Iranian civilians. He emphasized that independent nations supporting the rights of people demonstrate that cooperation among developing countries can counter unilateralism.

Key areas of cooperation identified include livestock breeding, production and supply of livestock vaccines, transfer of technical knowledge, development of mechanization and agricultural machinery, and extraterritorial agriculture.

Kyari noted that Nigeria's population is projected to reach 400 million by 2050, making food security a top priority. He stated that extensive programs are underway to increase agricultural production and productivity, as only about half of the country's arable land is currently utilized. Approximately 42 million households are active in Nigeria's agricultural sector, and he urged expanded technical and technological cooperation with Iran.

According to Mehr News, both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral ties through enhanced agricultural collaboration.