Lagos – A delegation of Benue and their Indian counterparts on Thursday compared notes on how to boost agriculture at the ongoing India Agric. and Industrial Machine Exhibition in Lagos.
Dr Ben Melladu, Economic Adviser to the Benue Governor and leader of delegation, said the delegation was at the show to acquaint farmers with modern agricultural and industrial tools.
Melladu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Benue industrial and agriculture machine fabricators were ready to partner with their Indian exhibitors if necessary.
The show is being organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indian High Commission.
He said that the delegation would meet with some of the established exhibitors to discuss the possibilities of training.
“(Benue) Being the food basket of the nation, our major interest is in agriculture, and thank God this administration is also looking towards that.
“We need to use this exhibition and any other future collaborations with foreign investors as opportunities to better ourselves and our own industry.
“The government shall meet with the organisers to discuss ways in which our local machine fabricators can be encouraged to build machines like this for export,” Melladu said.
One of the organisers of the exhibition, Mr Paul Olugbade, said it was to build and maintain better business relationships between Nigeria and India, and increase its trade volumes.
Mr Manish Dixit, one of the Indian exhibitors and Chief Executive Officer, Eden Energy India Ltd, said his machines were fuel efficient.
Dixit, a first time visitor to Nigeria, said he was interested in the Nigerian market because of the potential of growth in the manufacturing industry.
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NAN reports that the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Ajjampur Ghanashyam, in June put the bilateral trade volume between India and Nigeria at 16.4 billion dollars.
Ghanashyam said in an interview with NAN that the figure represented the trade volume during the financial year, April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015.
He said that in spite of the 50 per cent fall in oil prices, the trade volume still remained favourable. (NAN)
