The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), says it is ready to partner with relevant stakeholders to boost Nigerian’s economy through livestock production, genetics, veterinary services, capacity building and modern agriculture technologies.
Speaking at a strategic engagement meeting with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and other stakeholders in Abuja, the Director-General of the ACCI, Mr. Agabaidu Jideani, said that the chamber was conscious of what agribusiness, livestock development, capacity building and investment could contribute to nation building.
Jideani said that the chamber was therefore interested in partnerships covering livestock production, genetics, veterinary services, capacity building and modern agricultural technologies.
According to him, ACCI is committed to engaging U.S. businesses, financial institutions and development partners to facilitate knowledge transfer, investment and market access for Nigerian enterprises.
He assured that ACCI was ready to work with relevant organisations nationwide and urged the members to participate in exchange programmes, training opportunities and investment initiatives.
The Director General also urged stakeholders to share information on available programmes, adding that stronger communication would enable more businesses to benefit from international partnerships.
He said that the chamber would sustain discussions with its partners beyond physical meetings, describing the engagement as the beginning of a long-term relationship aimed at strengthening bilateral business cooperation.
He called for sustained collaboration between Nigerian businesses and U.S. institutions to unlock investment opportunities.
Earlier, Mr Christopher Bielecki, Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Departments of USDA/FAS, said that the department was promoting bilateral agricultural trade between Nigeria and the U.S. through partnerships and improved trade policies.
Bielecki said that the department supports capacity building by funding training programmes across agricultural value chains to strengthen skills, promote business growth and deepen trade between both countries.
He said that the livestock sector offered significant opportunities for expanding agricultural trade and investment, making it a priority area for collaboration between Nigeria and the U.S.
Bielecki said that the USDA was focusing on future trade opportunities by supporting Nigeria’s livestock industry through stronger business partnerships, technical cooperation and capacity development.
According to him, the USDA will be participating at the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture.
The theme of the meeting was “Opportunities for Livestock Development.”
GIK/APA