Hibiscus Export: Nigeria Signs Bilateral Trade With Mexico
The Federal Government has disclosed that it is expected that Nigeria earns over $3 billion annually as soon as it resumes its hibiscus export partnership deal with Mexico from January, 2023.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Rt Honourable Adejare Bello, disclosed this after Dr Vincent Isegbe, the Comptroller General, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), who represented Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, signed a bilateral agreement on behalf of Nigeria in Mexico.
According to Bello, Nigeria had maintained a good trade relationship with Mexico in the exportation of hibiscus flowers until 2017 when the relationship was suspended upon discovery that some containers of hibiscus flowers brought from Nigeria were contaminated with pests.
He observed that despite its many uses and potential, many do not know much about the potentials of hibiscus flowers.
He further revealed that Nigeria raked in over $600 million annually before the exportation was suspended by the Mexican authorities, adding that hibiscus is a major income earner for the country, as Mexico imports about 85 percent of Nigeria hibiscus.
His words: “Dry hibiscus flower is one of the key raw materials in the global confectioneries industry. I made some enquiries as to what led to the suspension and having been properly briefed, I took it up from there,” he said.
“The coast became clearer in April this year when I went with my colleagues in the Embassy to the National Assembly (Chambers of Deputies) for the Inauguration of the Parliamentary Friendship Group between Mexico and Nigeria. We told the congressmen the need to resume the trade in the presence of the Mexican Ambassador–designate to Nigeria, Alfredo Miranda, who promised to intensify efforts for the trade on hibiscus flowers to resume. A follow up meeting was coordinated in my office, between the mexican importers led by Mr Juan Carlos and Mr Ricardo Ramirez and the Nigerian exporters led by the Vice chairman, Association of Hibiscus flowers exporters, Alhaji Yerima Ibrahim, Alhaji Musa Sambajo, Mr John Oshevire and Mrs Halima, Bello said; adding that the meeting was aimed at ensuring a long lasting relationship between both countries in this regard.”
Bello therefore expressed his appreciation to the Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Alfredo Miranda; Comptroller General, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr Vincent Isegbe and his team; the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Abuja; Director General of SENASICA, Engineer Francisco Ramirez and his team as well as the staff of the Nigerian Mission in Mexico for their supportive role during the process of resuscitating the trade relationship between the two countries.
Present at the signing ceremony were other Nigerian officials including the special assistant to the minister, Engineer Francisco Ramirez, the Director General, SENASICA together with Dr Francisco Javier Arriaga, a director in the department.
Agro Nigeria
