- Nigerian president Asiwaju Bola Tinubu calls Botswana an inspiration as the West African country aims to establish a ministry dedicated to livestock development
BONGANI MALUNGA
Nigerian president Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has revealed his country’s willingness to collaborate with Botswana towards “robust cultural and economic cooperation”.
The Nigerian leader made the remarks when receiving Letters of Credence from several ambassadors, among them Botswana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Philda Kereng, in Abuja last week ????.
According to the Special Adviser to the Nigerian president, Ajuri Ngelale, the West African country’s leader acknowledged Botswana’s progress made by on the agricultural front.
Standalone livestock ministry
Tinubu cited Botswana’s livestock development and animal vaccine production success stories as inspiration, with Nigeria now charting a course to establish a ministry solely dedicated to livestock development.
To that end, Nigeria has formulated a Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms to oversee formation of a standalone livestock ministry to be called the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The ministry is reportedly being established to solve the country’s livestock development deficiencies.
Links with Nigeria
Nigeria is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Botswana to become a major player in beef production and export and the making of livestock vaccines to benefit from new opportunities in the livestock value chain.
Through a press release last week, Ngelale told the Nigerian public that Kereng also communicated Botswana’s willingness to forge links with Nigeria in the agriculture sector.
The Botswana envoy took the opportunity to interact with the Nigerian president and underlined Botswana’s drive to be a leader in the production of livestock vaccines, which is an area earmarked for collaboration with Nigeria in the near future.
Masisi at Tibubu’s inauguration
Botswana and Nigeria enjoy good bilateral relations which, according to Tinubu’s remarks, were strengthened by President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s presence at the Nigerian leader’s inauguration in May last year.
Tinubu regards Masisi as a “good friend”, according to the Nigerian president’s Special Adviser.
“My coming to Nigeria fulfils my President’s vision of improved relations with Nigeria and I will work very hard to achieve these objectives,” Kereng said during her interaction with the Nigerian leader.