Morocco, Nigeria The aim is to lead Africa as a top fertilizer manufacturer

Rabat – In an interview, Mohamed Hettiti, Managing Director of Morocco-based OCP in Nigeria, spoke about the unique partnership between Morocco and Nigeria that will secure both countries as leaders in fertilizer production.

Hettiti noticed the symbiotic relationship between Morocco and Nigeria in terms of fertilizer production.

Moroccan soil is rich in phosphate, while Nigeria is abundant in nitrogen. When combined, the materials make up fertilizer, which is vital to global agricultural practice.

Read also: Fertilizer: Morocco helps Nigeria on “difficult but exciting journey”

In the past, Nigeria imported more fertilizer than it exported. Hettiti stated, “With a partnership to develop an industrial fertilizer plant, Nigeria will be a fertilizer exporter.”

On the subject of the partnership’s impact on society, the director added: “This development will help ease the pressure on the exchange rate as more foreign currency will be earned in addition to the jobs that will be created.”

When asked about the potential economic growth for Nigeria, Hettiti spoke of Nigeria’s “great and enormous potential”, which results from the “future forecast population, land size, arable land and finally the percentage of the youth population” of the West African country.

In 2006, the Nigerian government implemented the Nigeria Vision 20: 2020 plan to accelerate Nigeria’s rise to the top 20 largest economies in the world by 2020. The plan focused on developing sectors such as society, economy, industry and the environment.

Although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has ranked Nigerian GDP 28th in the world, Hettiti argues that Nigeria’s economic reforms have been largely successful.

OCP has sponsored new initiatives such as the OCP Empowering African Youth (EMAY) project. EMAY has set itself the goal of “educating certified young managers from the agricultural sector, who are equipped with digital soil test kits and electronic tablets, to become agricultural experts who offer smallholders an Agri solution”.

Hettiti announced the creation of two new mixing plants in Nigeria and estimates that they will be operational by the end of 2021.

Fertilizer production in Nigeria will benefit the country’s economy and strengthen current ties with Morocco as both actors seek to step up exchanges of raw materials like nitrogen, phosphates, ammonia and more.

Comments are closed.