Olivier Becht, the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, has unveiled France’s commitment to strengthening trade relations with Nigeria, particularly in agricultural exports. This announcement coincided with the launch of the Food for Nations digital trade platform by JR Farms, aimed at facilitating access for Nigerian agribusinesses to the French and European markets.
During the launch, Becht praised the platform as a monumental step towards fostering closer ties between France and Nigeria in the agri-food sector. He emphasized France’s role in leveraging culinary expertise and technical prowess to enhance the quality and diversity of Nigerian food on the global stage.
Olawale Rotimi, CEO of JR Farms, expressed enthusiasm about forging partnerships that drive growth. Rotimi outlined plans to collaborate with French companies to provide training in superior agribusiness practices for selected cohorts. He also revealed ongoing discussions to inaugurate the first food cargo in Nigeria, a collaboration with Air France, signaling their interest in acquiring farmlands in France through JR Farms’ registration in the country.
Rotimi emphasized the platform’s potential to strengthen economic ties between Nigeria and France, highlighting the underexplored opportunities for West African agricultural exports to France, akin to France’s current grain exports to North Africa. The Food for Nations platform emerges as a significant avenue propelling Nigerian agribusinesses into European markets, solidifying the burgeoning trade relations between the two nations
