By Ojugbele Omotunde
The Nigeria Commodity Development Initiative (CDI) has successfully secured an order to export 240,000 metric tonnes of Rhodes grass valued at $55 million to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant achievement in expanding its market share in the Middle East.
Mr. Roland Oroh, Managing Director of CDI, announced this milestone during the Agric Summit Africa X AU-IBAR Investment Webinar, a dialogue involving Nigeria, India, and Kenya.
The webinar was organized by the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Sterling Bank.
Oroh highlighted that Nigeria is now positioned as a major exporter of pasture hay to the Middle East, alongside countries like Egypt and Turkey.
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He emphasized the collaborative efforts between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and CDI through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing the commercial development of Nigeria’s livestock and pasture industries for export markets.
Under the initiative named Made in Nigeria for Export (MINEx), CDI aims to achieve an annual increase of 15% in export products by 2030, contributing significantly to the Federal Government’s GDP target of $1 trillion with a specific export revenue target of $505.6 million by 2029.
Oroh noted that the escalating cost of feed concentrates globally has driven interest in Rhodes grass among Nigerians, given its reputation as a high-quality forage preferred by Middle Eastern livestock producers for grazing and hay production.
This trend underscores the importance of affordable feed options in sustaining commercial livestock markets.
The successful export deal with the UAE represents a strategic advancement for CDI in the international agricultural trade landscape, positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in supplying quality forage to global markets.
