Belarus set to partner with Nigeria on agric

The Republic of Belarus yesterday said it had concluded plan to partner with Nigeria on agriculture to promote economic relationship and reduce involvement cost of international distribution networks.

Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andrei Shakhanovich, disclosed this at Nigeria’s fifth International Trade Show with the theme “Nigeria Agrofood and plastprintpack” during an inter-country business forum.

Shakhanovich stated that there is need to establish long-business contact with Nigeria, adding that it provides a good platform for importation of goods.

According to him: “Today, we can generally speak about the intensification of trade and economic co-operation between Belarus and Nigeria. In 2018, bilateral trade level between our countries totalled $38.8 million (compared to $27.0 million in 2017).

“Taking into account its economic potential, Nigeria could be considered as a promising export destination for Belarusian companies. Nevertheless, to date, the share of Belarus in Nigeria’s import portfolio is only 0.05 per cent.

“It goes to say that such meetings are meant to act as rallying points for the promotion of direct contacts between Belarusian and Nigerian businesses, avoiding the involvement of international distribution networks and third parties and thus, cutting the costs significantly.”

However, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Nigeria, Vyacheslav Bril, said they were eager to introduce their agricultural machinery, which have proven to be of excellent quality to Nigeria.

He said Belarus doesn’t just sell goods and services but aims to give Nigerian agricultural sector an efficient and sustainable system.