Ibadan, Nigeria, March 5, 2025 – His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, joined a high-level panel discussion alongside key global agricultural and financial experts on the third day of his special visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
The panel featured distinguished participants, including former World Bank Vice President Hafez Ghanem and the former Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Discussions focused on agricultural investment and finance, with an emphasis on strategies to boost food security and economic growth across Africa.
During his remarks, President Bio emphasized the need for Africa to move beyond discussions and take concrete steps toward agricultural reintegration. He noted that while the continent has been debating this issue for over three decades, real progress remains limited.
“Africa has signed up for regional economic integration, but we must ensure the free movement of goods and services across our borders,” President Bio stated. He highlighted the importance of regional collaboration in agriculture, calling for mutual respect and shared commitment among African nations.
The president also underscored the significance of food sovereignty, advocating for Africa to produce enough food for both domestic consumption and export. “Agricultural transformation should not only focus on feeding our people; we must also position ourselves to export to neighboring countries like Liberia, Senegal, and Ghana, rather than depending on imports from Ukraine,” he asserted.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, President Bio stated that he wanted to personally assess best practices in agricultural development. “I did not want to rely solely on reports from my agriculture minister. I needed to see firsthand what is possible and explore opportunities for collaboration,” he said.
As part of his visit, President Bio was also taken to the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, which has been designated the first Agribusiness Transformation Centre in Nigeria under the African Development Bank (AfDB) Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme. President Bio was accompanied by the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, and other officials who expressed their pleasure in hosting the president, showcasing the facility’s role in advancing agricultural industrialization in Nigeria and beyond.
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