Kapil Mishra meets Nigerian minister, discusses agriculture
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra held a meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday. The meeting aims to explore possible cooperation between India and Nigeria in agriculture and food security.
Mishra, who holds the Art, Culture and Languages, and Tourism portfolios in the Delhi government, welcomed the Nigerian minister and his delegation. The meeting focused on agricultural development, farmers’ welfare, food security and management of agricultural produce.
The discussion opened with brief introductions from both sides, followed by a presentation from the Delhi Government’s Development Department on the current state of the capital’s agricultural sector and the various schemes run by the Delhi and Central Governments for farmers’ welfare.
The Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB) also gave a detailed presentation during the meeting, outlining how the supply and marketing chain for grains, vegetables, fruits and flowers is managed through mandis. The presentation covered how agricultural produce moves through the system to reach markets and explained the functioning of the mandi network.
Speaking at the meeting, Mishra said there was significant potential for cooperation between India and Nigeria in agriculture and food security. He said sharing Delhi’s experience in farmer welfare schemes, agricultural initiatives and mandi management could benefit both countries.
Mishra said technology, better management practices and a strong market system were essential for protecting farmers’ interests and strengthening food security. He described the meeting as a meaningful platform for identifying new areas of cooperation between the two countries in agricultural development and food security.
Abdullahi thanked the Delhi government for organising the meeting and the presentations, calling the information shared useful and informative. He expressed appreciation for Delhi’s support in efforts to strengthen agricultural development and food security in Nigeria. Both sides discussed plans to continue exchanging knowledge, experience and expertise in the agricultural sector, along with maintaining dialogue on potential areas of future cooperation between the two Governments.
The meeting comes as part of continuing diplomatic engagement between India and African nations on agricultural cooperation, with Delhi’s mandi management system and farmer welfare initiatives presented as a possible reference point for Nigeria’s own food security efforts. No specific agreements or timelines were announced following the meeting, with officials describing the discussion as an initial step toward exploring collaboration.
