Morocco, Israel partnerships: Prospects for Nigeria's agriculture

• Published date: 11 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The Federal Government has been involved in many partnerships with the Moroccan and Israeli governments to enhance cooperation, exchange and know-how in farming and agricultural research.The aim is to optimise the nation's diverse ecologies and unlock the immense agricultural, agri-industrial and agri-tourism potentials. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

THROUGHOUT Africa, food security is a major concern. For the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Africa Union (AU), ensuring that food security and nutrition is very critical. Hence, every effort is geared towards ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture, the Goal 2 in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To this end, FAO and AU have been convening meetings with outstanding producers such as Morocco and Israel to orchestrate activities that will result in access to sufficient nutritious food to meet dietary needs, and for people in the continent to live healthy and active lives.

Last September, Morocco's representation to the United Nations agencies in Rome hosted a meeting aimed at strengthening food security in Africa. It was attended by delegations from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Israel.

The event, which was part of the Food Coalition decided at the G20 meeting in Matera in Italy in 2021 and in which Morocco was a stakeholder, aimed to lay the foundation for improving water management in a tripartite cooperation, for the benefit of African countries, said a statement by the representation of Morocco to the United Nations agencies in Rome.

During this meeting, the Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom, Youssef Balla, highlighted 'the promising prospects of this collaboration in terms of effectiveness and efficiency in the management of water resources under pressure by the increasing climatic shocks in Africa'.

The Permanent Representative of Israel, Yael Rubenstein, who led his country's delegation, welcomed the responsiveness of the Moroccan side, as well as the availability of his government to participate in the achievement of this project for food security, praising 'the momentum in cooperation between our two countries'.

On its part, the FAO delegation, led by Enzo Cursio, stressed the importance of this project, describing it as a 'priority' for the Food Coalition and an international example of symbolic aspects and political values. The agricultural sector is highly important to the African economy: It is...