Nigeria, Kazakhstan Poised To Boost Ties With Agriculture, Tech MOU

Nigeria and Kazakhstan are on the verge of significantly strengthening their bilateral relationship, with the imminent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on agriculture, trade, and information technology.

A 30-member delegation from Kazakhstan’s public and private sectors is currently in Abuja for a business conference, facilitated by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to explore potential avenues for collaboration.

The conference, held Sunday, revealed a strong commitment from both sides to forge deeper partnerships. Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy,

Dr. Bosun Tijani (represented by Permanent Secretary Faruk Yabo), highlighted six key pillars of a national strategic blueprint, each offering opportunities for collaboration with Kazakhstan.

These include knowledge sharing, capacity building, and talent development, leveraging Kazakhstan’s advanced ICT sector.

The minister specifically mentioned Nigeria’s ambitious “three million technical talents by 2027” initiative as a prime area for partnership, aiming to train Nigerian tech professionals for both domestic and international markets.

Further cooperation is anticipated in artificial intelligence, with Nigeria’s recently drafted AI strategy providing a framework for collaboration, as well as in developing digital infrastructure.

Nigeria’s agricultural sector also stands to benefit significantly. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, emphasized the potential for collaboration, highlighting a Tuesday meeting scheduled to discuss specific opportunities for partnership and investment.

He stressed that the collaboration would be mutually beneficial, focusing not only on attracting Kazakh investment but also exploring Nigerian agricultural products for export.

Alibek Kuantyrov, head of the Kazakh delegation, described this as Kazakhstan’s first official delegation to Nigeria.

He highlighted the significant youth populations in both countries as a catalyst for cooperation, emphasizing Kazakhstan’s position as the largest economy in Central Asia and its interest in Nigeria as a key partner for accessing the African continent.

Potential areas of cooperation include goods transit, trade, mineral investment, ICT and AI exchange, fintech collaboration, and student exchange programs.

Kazakhstan aims to train one million IT specialists, and Nigeria’s robust talent pool presents an excellent opportunity for collaboration.

The Ooni of Ife attributed the conference’s success to President Bola Tinubu’s proactive approach, noting it follows a January meeting between the two countries’ presidents in Abu Dhabi.

He emphasized Kazakhstan’s serious commitment to the partnership, particularly highlighting a change in their visa policy to facilitate entry for talented Nigerians in tech and AI.

The anticipated MOU promises to unlock significant economic and technological advancements for both nations.