Skip to main content

Bangladeshi Investor in Nigeria Proposes Skills Partnership to Tackle Food Crisis

A Bangladeshi businessman, AKM Fakhrul Alam, who has lived and invested in Nigeria for 27 years, is calling for a formal skills-transfer partnership between Abuja and Dhaka, urging the Nigerian government to bring in Bangladeshi trainers to revolutionize agriculture and textile manufacturing.

Alam's plan involves bringing Bangladeshi master trainers to Nigeria to work directly with farmers and potential factory workers. For agriculture, this includes experts in modern hatchery, fishery, poultry, and high-yield crop farming. He projects this could slash Nigeria's $5 billion annual food imports by half within three to five years while creating millions of rural jobs.

In textiles, he pointed to Bangladesh's success, where 95% of the four-million-strong factory workforce are women. "Nigerian women are intelligent, hardworking and quick learners. Give them six months of training and they will match or beat anyone," Alam stated, advocating for garment factories in hubs like Kaduna, Aba, and Onitsha.

Alam cited Bangladesh's own rapid transformation, achieving food self-sufficiency for its 180 million people in a decade despite being one-sixth Nigeria's size. "Your soil, water and climate are even better. What Nigeria needs is practical training for its millions of energetic youths," he argued, highlighting a two-way trade opportunity, with Nigeria exporting raw materials like cotton and ginger to Bangladesh, which in turn could supply technical expertise.

To formalize this collaboration, Alam called on both governments to establish a Nigeria-Bangladesh Skills and Investment Council under their existing Joint Commission. He noted the strong people-to-people relations and shared membership in bodies like the Commonwealth and OIC as a solid foundation.

The proposal comes as Nigeria grapples with youth unemployment above 40% in many states, positioning such a skills-based partnership as a potential cornerstone of the Tinubu administration's economic diversification agenda.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PERSONALITY: Profile of a Performer

  His smile is calm, his overall demeanor unassuming. But make no mistake; Akinwunmi Ambode is no push over. He is a man of high intellectual character. Starting his career at a very young age, Ambode rose to the very pinnacle of the Civil Service, by dint of hard work, focus and altruism. Above all, he always has his head clear, his goals and perspectives well conceived from the start. He doesn’t mince words. He neither gives vain flattery nor expects to receive it, as those who have come to know him will attest to. Read more, after the cut...
1 comment
Read more

Sheikh Gumi Alleges Foreign Powers are Financing Terrorists in Nigeria

Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has accused unnamed foreign nations of supporting terrorist groups in Nigeria, citing a sudden reversal of security gains in recent months as evidence of external interference. In a significant and provocative claim, Nigerian Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has alleged that international actors are providing backing to terrorists operating within the country. During an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Sheikh Gumi pointed to deteriorating security in areas that had shown marked improvement. He specifically highlighted the Abuja-Kaduna highway, which had become safer for travelers, and the farmlands around Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, where farmers had cautiously returned to their fields after years of abandonment. "The situation on the ground contradicts earlier signs of improvement," Gumi stated, arguing that the recent surge in attacks suggests renewed support for armed groups. "This sudden rever...
Post a Comment
Read more

DSS Arrests Medical Doctor Accused of Supplying Drugs to Kwara Kidnapping Syndicate

Intelligence-led operation in Jebba uncovers healthcare professional allegedly aiding criminal networks. In a significant breakthrough, Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended a licensed medical doctor for his alleged role in supporting kidnapping gangs terrorizing parts of Kwara State. The arrest followed a targeted interception in the Jebba area, based on precise intelligence regarding the movement of supplies to criminal elements. According to security officials, the doctor was caught transporting medical provisions from Sokoto State intended for kidnappers operating within Kwara. This development suggests that recent security operations have been effective, leaving some gang members wounded and in urgent need of care. “These criminal networks are becoming increasingly desperate for medical assistance following sustained engagements with security forces,” a DSS official stated. The situation has prompted a security advisory for health fac...
Post a Comment
Read more