Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) as a pivotal initiative to boost agrifood transformation and promote sustainable development by sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources among members.
Speaking during the Ministerial Dialogue on SSTC at 2025 World Food Forum (WFF), as part event earmarked to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome, Italy, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Secuirty, Sen. Abubakar Kyari stated that the SSTC aims to strengthen the collective bargaining power of developing countries in global forums and foster a more equitable international economic system.
A statement by the Head, Department of Information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, on Tuesday, said that the minister stressed that South–South Cooperation has become a vital part of Nigeria’s agricultural development strategy, fostering knowledge exchange, innovation, and inclusive growth.
According to him, effective cooperation must be rooted in mutual respect, national ownership, and measurable outcomes, describing SSTC as one of the most practical and cost-effective models for achieving food security and shared prosperity.
He revealed that Nigeria’s partnership with FAO and China under the SSTC framework has yielded tangible results, including advances in technology transfer, farmer training, aquaculture development, and the establishment of Regional Multi-Service Extension Centers nationwide.
“The lessons we continue to draw from our partnerships with China, Brazil, and other developing nations reaffirm that the Global South has the capacity, knowledge, and innovation needed to solve its own challenges if we work together in solidarity’’.
The Minister outlined Nigeria’s current priorities to deepen SSTC impact to include; Institutional Strengthening: integrating SSTC programmes into national agricultural strategies to ensure alignment with Nigeria’s National Agrifood Systems Transformation Agenda, Sustainable Financing: establishing flexible funding mechanisms and encouraging blended finance models to scale up South–South partnerships and projects.
Others are; technology and Knowledge exchange: promoting collaboration on climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, mechanization, and digital solutions to enhance productivity and resilience, regional Integration: advancing Nigeria’s leadership within ECOWAS to foster sub-regional agricultural trade, research linkages, and policy harmonization.
In his remarks, Director – General, FAO, Dr. Qu Dongyu lauded Nigeria and other member countries for their sustained commitment towards building inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.
He added that the next phase of South–South Cooperation must be backed by stronger institutional frameworks and targeted investments.
