By News Desk
The Ukrainian government on Wednesday, has expressed readiness to establish grain hubs in Nigeria and other African countries to boost bilateral ties.
This is as it donated about 25,000 tonnes of grains to Nigeria despite the ongoing war with Russia.
This was made known when Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi, led a delegation to the Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Abubakar, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr Solskyi said the grains from Ukraine would arrive in Nigeria in February under the initiative ‘Grains from Ukraine’, and that despite the war with Russia, the Ukrainian food industry wanted to have closer relations with Nigeria, adding, “we are very thankful to you that your country is ready to develop the relations.”
“We want to have regular contact every year, not only by our agriculture ministers but other ministers as well”, he explained.
Onyeama while speaking noted “Notwithstanding the situation in which your country, you are able to reach out a hand of friendship not just to Nigeria but to other African countries.
“This demonstrates superhuman courage and we really admire your generosity, we thank you for this support.”
However the minister lamented that some of the victims of the war in Ukraine are large number of Nigerian students, whose studies have been interrupted by the war.
Minister of Agriculture and rural Development, Muhammad Abubakar also at the meeting said that Nigeria is very willing and ready to provide the appropriate ports for the grain hub in the country.