AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COOPERATION, TRADE WITH AG MINISTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001456 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO USTR-AGAMA DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS, 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS USDA/FAS FOR CHAUDRY, ADAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ENRG ECON SENV NI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COOPERATION, TRADE WITH AG MINISTER ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador and Agriculture Minister agreed to create an Agriculture Working Group under the U.S.-Nigeria Framework for Partnership as a way to better engage with the Agricultural Ministry in a meeting in Abuja June 24. The Ministry is moving to implement robust plans for agriculture and agri-business and welcomes stronger engagement with the USG. Minister Ruma agreed to work to fashion a transition plan to move away from high tariffs and existing numerous import bans. The Ministry is also looking to boost AGOA export. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador, Ag Attach, Acting USAID Mission Director and Econ Counselor met with Minister Siyyadi Ruma, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, in Abuja on June 24. The meeting was also attended by Permanent Secretary Professor A.O. Afolabi and the Executive Director of the National Food Reserve Agency. The purpose of the meeting was to express U.S. concern about the GON's continued high commodity tariffs, and note that we hope the temporary removal of the Rice tariff was a sign of things to come. Removal of all import bans and lowering of tariffs helps with advancement of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and adoption of a bilateral investment treaty. The meeting also touched on engagement on water and sanitation issues, and the need to take more advantage of AGOA. ¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador thanked the Minister for taking time from the Emergency Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture which he was hosting (see paragraph 9 for more details). The Minister expressed interest in both the Framework for Partnership Working Group on Agriculture and the TIFA process. He also described his efforts to strengthen Nigeria's National Food Security Program in the face of increasing global food prices. ¶4. (U) Referring to his efforts to carry out the food security program and the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. Mission, Minister Ruma said he was grateful for the USG's support and close collaboration on agriculture and welcomed mechanisms to deepen that relationship under the Framework for Partnership and have a working group to move bilateral agricultural issues forward. He said Nigeria needs to embrace and adapt technology advances in order to achieve real development progress on agriculture. He added that his country needed to learn a lot from developed countries, particularly from the United States. He expressed his desire to visit the United States to acquaint himself with U.S. agriculture, deepen bilateral collaboration on agriculture and seek U.S. private sector investment. The Ambassador welcomed the gesture and FAS Attach noted that September 2008 could serve as a potential timeframe for the minister's visit. ¶5. (U) Ambassador and Minister Ruma agreed that to address key bilateral issues the Agriculture Working Group could have subgroups focused on: productivity enhancement, agricultural biotechnologies, commodities, and value chain strengthening. The Foreign Agriculture Service and the Ag Ministry would co-chair the Group, with U.S. AID acting as Coordinator. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador pointed out that Nigeria continues to maintain import bans on a number of agricultural products and commodities and that doing so discourages trade and investment. The Minister acknowledged this fact but seemed surprised by the long list of banned items highlighted by the FAS Attach in the meeting. He welcomed a dialogue with us on this issue through the Agricultural Working Group and the related Trade and Investment Group focused on similar issues with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. ¶7. (U) Ambassador raised the possibility of USG and GON water and sanitation experts meeting on the margins of the African Union meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh. Ruma undertook to have his Minister of State, Chief Ademola Seraki, meet with members of the U.S. delegation on the margins of the Sharm El-Sheikh AU meeting. ¶8. (U) Ag Ministry PermSec brought department and agency heads to the Embassy July 7 for a meeting with Acting AID Mission Director, Econ Counselor, and Acting FAS Attach (participating by teleconference from Lagos) to kick off the Working Group. It was also agreed that the Ag Ministry would join the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Working Group recently established with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to join efforts to increase non-oil AGOA experts. ¶9. (U) The bilateral meeting took place during a break in the Emergency Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture hosted by Ruma to consider the Draft National Food Security Program. Department heads, universities of agriculture, State Commissioners ABUJA 00001456 002 OF 002 of Agriculture, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, private sector and international development partners were attending the meeting. The proposed food security program offers modifications to existing programs and allocates additional federal and state funding. Components of the food security program include land management, public-private sector participation, infrastructure development such as dams and irrigation systems, agricultural mechanization program, extension support programs, integrated livestock development program, food reserve and storage, agro processing and marketing, guaranteed minimum price (new domestic support program),agricultural research and development and agricultural commercialization. SANDERS