Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is set to receive a supply of 105,000 tonnes of fertilizer (raw material) from Russia and Canada on June 3 and June 6 respectively.
This is according to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr Uche Orji, at the ministerial press briefing at the State House on Thursday.
He stated that the Russia-Nigeria potassium link has been re-established in spite of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The expected Russian and Canadian potassium used for blending fertiliser is also part of efforts to ramp up production of the commodity in time for use by farmers in the current farming season.
Mr Orji had said recently that as countries continue to face the supply constraints from the ongoing Russian aggression on Ukraine, Nigeria found relief in Canada in the supply of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizers.
NSIA negotiates imports of raw fertilizer materials like potash as part of the Nigerian government’s programme to develop its capacity to produce blended fertilizer and reduce dependency on imports.
Russia’s Uralkali, a major global supplier of the crop nutrient to Nigeria had stalled shipments since the war began but this new development shows discussions had borne fruits, meaning Nigeria could get part of the five shipments that it gets yearly.
He further affirmed that the current administration has so far committed over N100 billion to the implementation of the ongoing Second Niger Bridge project under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
According to him, only N19 billion had been expended on the project before the coming of the current administration.
He added that the money committed to the project and others including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway was part of the $300 million recovered from the Abacha loot.
