As parts of efforts to curtail the challenges confronting Nigeria as well as foster economic growth and development, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called for partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands.
Kalu made the call while playing host to the Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, Wouter Plomp, who paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Special Assistant on Press Affairs to Kalu, Udora Orizu, in a statement, yesterday, quoted the deputy speaker as saying that the Netherlands stands as a significant source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nigeria, particularly in oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors. Kalu commended the Netherlands for their investments in Nigeria and contributions towards reducing insecurity.
According to him, the Netherlands’ support for peace building initiatives in Nigeria, especially in addressing conflicts in regions like the Northeast, reflects both nations’ shared commitment to promoting stability and security. Kalu harped on the importance of food security, saying that it’s a sustainable approach towards having peace and security.
The deputy speaker made reference to his initiative known as the ‘Peace in the South East Project’, which has agriculture and food security as one of its pillars, recalling that it recently launched ‘food for peace’ aimed at providing food for the people.
Speaking on other areas for further collaborations, Kalu stated that there’s a significant potential for partnership in the value chain for processing and packaging of dairy products.
He said Nigeria, having the fifth largest cattle herd in Africa, collaboration with Netherlands in processing dairy products beyond what is currently being done at the moment can foster economic growth. He added that the parliament is looking forward to engaging in more productive dialogue that further strengthens bilateral relationship.
