By Editor, Abuja
Ebele Integrated Farms has entered into a strategic partnership with international agricultural technology consortium, including Shengtian Global Innovation Ltd, to develop high-value crop value chains for Nigeria’s pharmaceutical, cosmetics and nutraceutical industries.
The partnership, aimed at promoting agricultural diversification, job creation and export growth, was concluded during a meeting at the office of former President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, Chairman of Ebele Integrated Farms, with representatives of the consortium, including Mr. Abubakar Yerima, a key partner at Shengtian Global Innovation Ltd, and Mr. Li Jiaqi, the consortium’s lead technical partner.
Under the agreement, the consortium will provide certified seeds, advanced cultivation systems, processing technology and access to international markets, while Ebele Integrated Farms will provide land, operational capacity and local implementation.
The project will commence with pilot cultivation before scaling up to commercial production of plant-based active ingredients for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and nutraceutical industries.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Yerima said the collaboration would introduce world-class agricultural technology into Nigeria and position the country to take advantage of the rapidly expanding global market for plant-based active ingredients.
“This partnership brings world-class technology to Nigeria’s agricultural sector. We are committed to building a transparent, bankable and export-oriented industry,” he said.
The partners noted that the global market for plant-based active ingredients is currently valued at about $30 billion and is projected to reach approximately $70 billion by 2031, presenting significant opportunities for Nigeria to expand its non-oil exports and earn foreign exchange.
They expressed confidence that the initiative would create employment opportunities, support rural development, facilitate technology transfer and strengthen local capacity in high-value crop cultivation and processing.
According to them, the project will be implemented in full compliance with Nigerian laws and regulatory requirements to ensure sustainable production and value addition.
The parties also disclosed that the partnership will be formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), after which technical assessments and pilot implementation will commence ahead of full-scale production.
They added that the initiative is expected to position Nigeria as a competitive supplier of natural active ingredients to the global pharmaceutical, cosmetics and nutraceutical industries, while contributing to economic diversification and increased foreign exchange earnings.