First Shipment of Moroccan Fertilizers Heading For Nigeria

Nigeria will receive in the few coming days the first shipment of Moroccan fertilizers following the deal sealed lately during King Mohammed VI’s visit to this African country.

According to press reports, the first shipload is made of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) fertilizers. It will enable the Nigerian government to alleviate farmers’ burden as the commodity will be sold at N5,000, which is half the current price.

Nigerian minister of agriculture Audu Ogbe, who disclosed the news, said his country targets about 700,000 to 800,000 tons of fertilizers per year.

Last December, King Mohammed VI and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari presided in Abuja over the signing ceremony of a partnership accord to build a fertilizers plant in Nigeria.

The new plant, to be built by Morocco’s state-run phosphates company OCP, seeks to promote the use of agricultural inputs including access to adequate fertilizers, which is expected to improve agricultural productivity and farmers’ income.

OCP, a world leader in phosphate and its derivatives, is committed to the development of agriculture in Africa. This landmark project has been launched within the frame of win-win partnerships with African countries and south-south cooperation.

During the royal visit to Nigeria, the two African countries also agreed to build a gas pipeline that will stretch along the coast connecting Nigerian gas wells with West African countries all the way up until reaching the Kingdom.

The pipeline will add momentum to economic integration in West Africa and will help promote efforts to boost electrification in the region. The project is also meant to help Nigerian gas reach Europe.