Nigeria and Belarus are considering the prospects of boosting economic and technological cooperation that will see Belarus build a 1,000-capacity tractor assembly plant in Nigeria.
This was the subject of discussion in Abuja on Thursday when the Ambassador of Belarus to Nigeria, Mr Vyacheslav Beskosty, paid a visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.
Beskosty told State House correspondents after the visit that his delegation held wide-ranging talks with Osinbajo.
“We concluded that the level of our present cooperation and context is not enough and does not correspond fully to the potential of our economies.
“We agreed that in the nearest future we will look closer at the prospects of deepening our relations in the area of setting up Assembly production of tractors and trucks in Nigeria, deepening our cooperation in education area, in the military area.
“I also informed the Vice President about the invitation of our President Mr (Alyaxandr) Lukashenka in the name of your newly-elected President Mr (Muhammadu) Buhari, to pay an official visit to our country in the best time possible.
“So we agreed that we still have a lot to be done and we outlined the very great potential between our countries for the benefit of our peoples.“
Beskosty said that there were no limits to the discussion as both countries considered any form of cooperation that would be of immense benefit to the people of both countries.
He said: “It can be production of certain products in Nigeria; it can be export-import; it can be investment; it can be military cooperation; it can be education.
“Now almost 600 young Nigerians are studying at Belarusian universities and we think that this number can increase in coming years.
“So, those education or technology production potential which Belarus has at this moment can be easily transferred to Nigeria to boost local economy and make local production of food and other products cheaper and more available to the inhabitants.“
According to the envoy, Belarus opened its mission in Nigeria to seek and expand the beneficial areas between both countries.
On the plan for the assembly plant, he said it would be determined by how many tractors and trucks the Nigerian market could absorb.
“Our companies have a sort of feasibility studies about the profitability of the project.
“According to my information, to make this project successful or profitable they have to produce at least 1,000 units per year of trucks or tractors.
“So, now the question was (if) Nigerian markets or the markets of neighbouring countries with Nigeria can consume this number, this 1,000 trucks or tractors per year.
“This is the big challenge for us. So, as soon as we see the guarantee that these, assembled here locally in Nigeria, trucks and tractors can be consumed then of cause production starts.’’
He said that the vice president welcomed the initiative of Belarus and expressed full support of the Nigerian government in the collaboration. (NAN)