Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that Nigeria has over eighty five million (85 million) hectares of arable land yet to be cultivated.
The Vice President stated this Tuesday, in his office at the State House, Abuja, during a courtesy visit by a high powered trade delegation from Japan, led by the Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Godwin N. Agbo.
“We have over 85 million hectares of land that is yet to be harnessed,” he noted.
The Vice President stated that the administration was seeing agriculture not as a programme, but as a business that would create jobs to the teeming unemployed.
“We have placed great importance in the area of agricultural development, which we intend to develop as a business, previously in this country Agriculture is considered as government programme, but now agriculture is considered a business.”
Vice President Sambo used the opportunity to invite the Japanese delegation to invest in the huge potentials that abound in the agricultural sector. He also enumerated several areas of opportunities for Japanese businesses to tap into, which included the power sector, the transport sector, oil and gas, petrochemicals, finance, etc.
He noted that Nigeria had put in place measures that would safeguard the business concerns of all investors. He also promised them that there were incentives that would further boost their confidence, when they invest in the country.
Arc Sambo used the occasion to express Nigeria’s sympathy over the unfortunate disaster caused by last year’s Tsunami, in that country, while also appreciating the confidence that Japan had placed on Nigeria. He said this confidence had boosted the cordial relations existing between the two countries. He thanked the country for the assistance they have been rendering to Nigeria through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ambassador Godwin Agbo stated that the trade delegation was in Nigeria to tap into the huge potentials in different sectors of the country’s economy. He said that the 32 member delegation was drawn from 23 companies, which included, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, Marubeni Corporation, Sanyo Foods, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Middle East FZA, and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd, among several others.
Ambassador Agbor, further stated that the visit was in line with President Jonathan’s drive for Foreign Direct Investment as enunciated in the Transformation Agenda.
In his remarks the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji, said that Japan was ready to partner Nigeria in realising her Transformation Agenda, adding that the country sees great opportunities in the Nigerian economy.
Present at the occasion were the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Engr. Mustapha Bello and other top government functionaries.
