Rabat - Morocco is set to deliver a shipment of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer to Nigeria later this week, local newspaper Leadership reported on Wednesday.
Rabat – Morocco is set to deliver a shipment of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer to Nigeria later this week, local newspaper Leadership reported on Wednesday.
Speaking to local media, Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbe, said, “The first shipload of phosphate, a major component in fertilizer manufacturing, is expected from Morocco this week while the blending will begin immediately.”
The minister went on to add that the goal in “fertilizer production is about 700,000 to 800,000 tons of fertilizer per annum, since many neighboring countries depend on Nigeria.”
“We don’t satisfy only Nigeria; we also supply our neighboring countries which always come in and take a bit and we can’t deny them entirely, but we must meet our need first,” the minister added.
During King Mohammed VI’s visit to Nigeria in December 2016, the agricultural sector received major focus. Morocco’s OCP Group (Office Cherifien des Phosphates) has signed numerous agreements within the framework of its plan to develop African agriculture.
OCP Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) to strengthen Nigeria’s agriculture industry.
The collaboration between OCP Group and FEPSAN covers a large array of issues relevant to the sector of agriculture such as the implementation of fertilizing solutions, which can adapt to the soils and crops of Nigeria. Other issues are the market supply of fertilizers and the implementation of support measures for local farmers.
One of the most important elements of the south-south partnership discussions between King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammad Buhar, was the construction of a gas pipeline, which represents a critical bilateral agreement for both countries.
Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said in December that the 4,000 km project, called the Trans-Africa Pipeline, “would go along the coast from Nigeria all the way up to Morocco and into Europe eventually.”
