Pakistan to boost Nigeria ties through agric development

How do you feel representing your country in Nigeria?This is my first time of coming to Africa; I had never been to Africa before except with my visit to Egypt once but never had contact with people from Nigeria and various African countries. I am an ex-soldier and have been coming across so many people […]

How do you feel representing your country in Nigeria?
This is my first time of coming to Africa; I had never been to Africa before except with my visit to Egypt once but never had contact with people from Nigeria and various African countries. I am an ex-soldier and have been coming across so many people from Africa during our interaction in various trainings. I had a major friend here in Nigeria who is now retired just like me but we are still meeting. He is retired Gen. Isaac Obiaka. Similarly, I don’t feel a stranger here because there are a lot commonalities in Pakistani culture and that of Nigeria because the level of development in both countries is similar and we also believe in some of the things Nigeria believes in. In that way I don’t feel like a stranger here. In my interactions with the officials of the ministry of foreign affairs, I am very comfortable with them and they are very cooperative with us and when I go round in Abuja to various markets one will find similar types of markets which I think is a blessing of globalization. Nigeria is a very comfortable place to stay and I am sure that we will be able to interact very productively with our brothers in Nigeria.
What is the level of bilateral relations between both countries?
At political level we have very good cordial relationship with our friend Nigeria. We are having frameworks in the shape of UNO, commonwealth, OIC, and then the lately the D8; that is the group of eight developing countries in Asia and Africa. D8 is a great forum where we are all co-operating but we have very cordial relations with Nigeria both at political and diplomatic levels and I am sure this will help us in developing economic cooperation as well. This is what we are striving for and this is what we have to do.
What about economic relations?
 I am not satisfied with the level of the economic relationship between Nigeria and Pakistan. It is very minimal I will say to the volume of between $115 million and $20 million US dollars. We must take it to at least $2billion per year because the scope is there and we have the capacity, this is something that can be achieved and it must be achieved. The possibility is that the scope is there and that is what we are hoping to achieve. Let me draw your attention to some of the areas where the scope exists- one of them is agriculture, Pakistan is basically an agriculture country, our economy is agriculture based and I think we have one of the best irrigation systems in the world, all canal based and we have rescue water from the rivers in terms of dams and channelled them to canals then going to the fields. This has given a lot of boost to our agricultural economy and what we grow mostly is wheat, that made us sufficient in wheat and in the last two years Pakistan has been exporting wheat to other countries. We also have rice and Pakistan is one of the major exporters of rice in the world. The third product we have is cotton and our cotton particularly the cotton yarn and fabric are being exported in a big way. This is our major foreign exchange earner. So these areas, I think we have a lot of scope to interact with our Nigerian brothers because these three crops can be grown in Nigeria. There was a time we had a shortage of cotton because of pest problem which reduced production, for that year we imported cotton from Nigeria. When I heard that we imported cotton from Nigeria I was surprised because I didn’t know that Nigeria grows cotton. The pharmaceutical industry is another area, I think our pharmaceutical industry is very vibrant and that is one area we can also cooperate. Although the cooperation is there, it is at a very low level, we can do a lot in this. Textile and sugar production is also part of the areas we cooperate. Pakistan is exporting sugar, we have more than 18 large sugar factories in Pakistan that not only meet the requirement of 190 million Pakistanis but we also export. We also have a very vibrant education sector; universities, colleges, technical universities, medical universities and whole lots of other educational institutions. This is one area we can as well cooperate. I met with the minister of education of Nigeria, we interacted on that. If you recall, there was a time especially in the 70s and 80s when many Pakistanis were teaching in Nigerian universities and colleges, why can’t we revive this kind of relationship where teachers from both sides go to each other’s country, gain experience and then coming back. Similarly, we have a lot of scope where Nigerian students can study in Pakistani universities and colleges both technical and non-technical. Also, skills development, we have an organisation called SMEDAN and it has 16 to 17 skills development centres in Pakistan, we can also cooperate on that where people from Nigeria will go to Pakistan to learn those skills because they have short courses that can last between three and six months. So those are the areas we can have a lot of beneficial cooperation.
How do you think Pakistan can assist Nigeria to harness its agriculture potentials?   
Good, this requires a very conducive agriculture policy regime by the Nigerian government. I am sure the Nigerian government is doing a lot on this and what Pakistan can do is to render lots of technical assistance in this regard and since Pakistan is an agricultural country we have a lot of agricultural machinery and implements in terms of tractors, ploughs, all kinds of agricultural implements which are required to tilt and prepare the land for crops. It is not only the machinery that one needs to improve agriculture but it also includes the irrigation system because one cannot be depending on the rain round the year since rain may come and it may not come in time and for that reason one cannot be depending on rain alone. You have to create an irrigation system. Pakistan has got almost 56,000 kilometres of canal network which is one of the most extensive canal networks in the world and it is a much matured network. That is the expertise and area where we can help our Nigerian friends to have an irrigation system in place and not only the tractors and implements, you got to have the whole infrastructure in place, for example; workshops, maintenance facilities, repair facilities for the machinery. Then, the people have to be trained on how to use those machinery, they have to be given those skills where they can really work very comfortably on the land. All these are those aspects we can help Nigeria. Provision of better seeds is also an area we can assist because Pakistan is known to have shifted to high breed seeds to a great extent in all crops ranging from cotton, rice, wheat etc. All these seeds can be made available. Another important thing is the provision of good fertilizers and I mean the right kind of fertilizers because we cannot use every fertiliser. It needs proper laboratory test of soil and the kinds of crop growing on the land and the type of fertiliser that is important for the land and crop. I believe there is a shortage of fertiliser in Nigeria. There are many people from Pakistan that are prepared to have joint ventures in the fertiliser sector. Nigeria has a lot of natural gas which is one of the most important things in fertiliser production. So that is where we can also cooperate.
Is there any plan by Pakistan to set up a factory where all those things can be produced in Nigeria for easy access by the end users?    
So far, we do not have a very tangible plan but there are possibilities. Pakistan and Nigeria have a lot of special distance between them. The economies are integrated into their own regions, so we have to go some extra mile to make sure that we create compatibilities between both economies and that is where government effort will be required. We have possibilities and to mature them, we have to work on them and we have to create different laws first. We would have to facilitate the traders, entrepreneurs and investors so that they can go to each other’s country and start interacting. We are hoping that very soon, the two countries will have a joint ministerial commission and each meeting is expected to be planned very shortly. We have proposed this to be planned during the last week of August or maybe in September. That meeting will set the parameters correct. It will create the enabling environment for people from both sides so that they can very comfortably go and interact with each other.  But there are some agreements that are likely to be signed during that meeting, so that will help us in the creation of the environment where we can start helping each other. And once that is done, it will build confidence among the people to develop business relationships.                                                                 
We learnt there was supposed to be an agricultural expo in Kano State to be organised by Pakistan, what is happening now and when will it come up?       
Yes, it is an agricultural equipment display. Last time when it was planned, it was shifted because of some security issues in the state then. Something happened in Kano, so people advised us, especially the Nigerian high commission in Islamabad advised us to delay it. Now we are hoping that in November, when the Kano trade fair would be taking place, we will have the show along with the fair. The fair will be open for farmers and those who are interested in agriculture. They will have a day when most of the government officials will meet and discuss.
There was supposed to be a visit by some members of the Pakistanis chamber of commerce in 2010 but it was cancelled, what was the reason?  
Somehow it could not be planned at that time but what happened was that in 2011, there were about 17 business people from Nigeria who visited Pakistan. Again in 2012, 53 business people from Nigeria also visited Pakistan. Now, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Pakistan is organising a delegation of 52 business people from Pakistan to come and visit Nigeria. So hopefully, what could not be done in 2010 they should be able to compensate for that now. There are delays at some times because of certain reasons.  At some times the delegations may not be prepared   maybe they have other commitments. So there may be various reasons for the cancellation but I am sure this time they will definitely make it.     
Pakistan expo is an annual international trade fair attended by people from all works of life with their products on display, but despite Pakistan-Nigeria relationship, Nigerian products aren’t usually on display. What is responsible for this?       
I think it is the trade development agency of Nigeria that should think about this and also suggest to them because information is sent to embassies and high commissions in Pakistan and they must inform the trade development agency here, so it is for them to organise and send the people to display Nigerian goods at Pakistan expo.
What products are highly needed in Pakistan that Nigerians can export there?
Oil and gas is highly required in Pakistan because we don’t have oil and gas in my country, we have shortage in our production. Oil and gas is being imported to my country from abroad and some business people from Nigeria can look into this and offer us the product because it sells like hot cake in Pakistan. Pakistan is one of the major importers of palm oil in the world and we are importing our needs from Malaysia but I learnt Malaysia took palm fruits from Nigeria a long time back. Why not the original producers get more active on this and there are possibilities of marketing them in my country. Palm oil, sesame seeds, gum Arabic. Pakistan has got one of the most vibrant leather industries. So many leather products are exported from Pakistan to Europe, America and other places. These are some of the products that can be exported to Pakistan from Nigeria. In the case of honey, the taste of honey here is slightly different from what suits Pakistanis consumers but it can be reconsidered. I cannot really say what kind of acceptability Nigerian honey will have in Pakistan but there is no harm in trying to have a marketing taste of the product.
How convenient is it to export to Pakistan considering the fact that there are no direct flights from Nigeria to Pakistan and vice versa?
One aspect of transporting goods to Pakistan from Nigeria is through the sea–that is shipping. Sea would be a little time consuming, it takes between 45 and 60 days circle to transport goods between both countries. By air, I think Emirates cargo is operating from Lagos to Dubai and from Dubai to three destinations in Pakistan–Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. That is another route or facility which can be used. But there are no direct flights and that is one of the constraints. I believe and hope that some of the airlines will start operating direct flights from Nigeria to Pakistan and vice versa. Similarly, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) used to operate one flight from Pakistan to Kano before but it was stopped in the 90s but there is no harm in restarting those flights. I only wish that once PIA gets into good health, they may think of operating the flights. Similarly, some of the airlines can think of going to Pakistan.
What is the exact trade volume between both countries?        
 It is almost $115 million. That is the approximate figure for year 2012 and the bulk of the trade has been in favour of Pakistan but when we imported cotton from Nigeria, the trade was in Nigeria’s favour.
What products are exported mainly to Nigeria?
They are pharmaceuticals, farm product some which are agricultural equipments like tractors, and cloths. Some rice is also coming into Nigeria from Pakistan but for the past few years, rice is no more there    because Nigeria has imposed some duty on importation of rice. Although a lot of rice from Thailand and India is coming in through Cotonou port. That is a different channel which may not be a legal channel but I learnt a lot are coming through that way because the Nigerian government has placed a lot of heavy duty on it. Pakistan produces a lot of quality rice, basmati rice which is of high quality to the taste of the Nigerian public and it has been coming here for some years but now that the duty has been raised, I don’t think that will be compatible again with the Nigerian market. Then sports wears and kits, surgical materials made in Pakistan are also coming here. These are the items that are generally coming to Nigeria from my country.
You have a lot of improved seedlings in Pakistan; can you bring the seeds for Nigerian farmers to be grown here?
There are two parties in Nigeria who have contacted me and I have given them the requirement. For example, the Pakistani experts in mango and orange need climate and soil survey, once they get their requirements, we will be sending them to our experts who will assess them because our oranges and mangoes can survive in Nigeria climate. We will then call those experts here and carry our actual experimentation here planting in certain area and see how it grows. There are two different things; Pakistani mango is more grafted one, so some kind of graffiti machines have to be here. But as far as Nigerian climate is concerned, I am very sure that mango can survive here but the orange is a vented fruit that needs certain kind of cold temperature to ripe whereas mango needs certain kind of hot or humid climate which is available in Nigeria. We also have other varieties of orange in Pakistan like the type one can find in California, we need to experiment here. For that some agricultural experts have travelled down here to have some kind of cooperation with the local parties who are prepared to interact with them on farming.
What would you like to improve on Nigeria Pakistan bilateral relations?  
First is that we are going to facilitate the joint ministerial committee meeting and there are many issues that we will enter into agreement with the Nigerian government. For example, bank branches, we do not have Pakistani banks operating in Nigeria and no Nigerian bank is operating in Pakistan. That is the enabling environment I am talking about. People need bankers so that on both sides there will be avenue where money can be exchange. So first thing I believe is the opening of some Pakistanis banks in Nigeria while Nigerian banks should open some branches in Pakistan and we are proposing that three branches of Nigerian banks should open in Pakistan with one in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad similarly, Pakistanis banks with one branch in Abuja, Lagos and the third one in Kano. Another is area is connecting both countries through our airlines. Pakistani international airline is in a bit of financial trouble and as soon as it gets into proper shape, I have proposed to them to get back and operate direct flights to Nigeria while Nigerian airlines are advised to do the same. There is also an agreement being drafted on the airline cooperation with Nigeria. Hopefully, with passage of time we should be going for that. Then is the marrying up of both chambers of commerce, the two countries have very vibrant chambers of commerce and very active but we need to marry them up so that they can mutually cooperate and carry their members to interact with each other. I am also planning to achieve that. In the medical field, Pakistan has good hospitals and we can open up some good hospitals in Nigeria. We also have good medical training facilities; we can help each other on that. Some students go from here to Pakistan for training and have medical colleges opening up in Nigeria because we invest into our medical colleges a lot and they provide quality education there. In the area of pharmaceutical industries, we can have mutually beneficial ventures in Nigeria. The DG NAFDAC will be visiting Pakistan in September and I am sure he would see the Pakistani pharmaceutical industry. Then is the SME training centres is another aspect we can help each other.
In the education sector, students can go on exchange programmes and it would be mutually beneficial. Both countries speak and teach English and both official languages are English, so there are a lot of commonalities which we can take advantage of. These I think I should be able to achieve. Some of our people are in cooperation with a private farm in Sokoto state and it is a farm of 100,000 hectares and we made the calculation that if that project comes up, it will provide jobs for 10,000 people in Nigeria. Nigeria has a lot of land which can be cultivated, if you cultivate that kind of land, it will provide jobs for up to 2.4 million people without any problem.
So I think this is a sure solution to unemployment. If you really want to progress, agriculture is the way because the rate of unemployment is really low in Pakistan because many people are into agriculture. It provides many jobs. Agriculture is not only about growing crops, cattle farming is also part of it. Although Nigeria has a lot of cattle farming I think Nigerian cattle farming is mostly with free grazing areas because of the abundance of land in the country, Pakistan does not have too many lands to allow free grazing of cattle. Cattle farming in Pakistan is mostly done in classified cattle farms.