By Lizzy Okoji
The Ambassador of Burundi to Nigeria, Mrs Marie-Jeanne Ntakirutimana, says Burundi is seeking Nigerian investors in the country’s agriculture and mining sectors to boost its economy.
Ntakirutimana made this known during a media parley with journalists in Abuja, ahead of Burundi’s 60th Independence Anniversary celebrated on July 1, 2022.
Ntakirutimana in her speech titled “Burundi as the Heart of Africa”, said that the Burundi of today is a free country where many dreams can be achieved regardless of gender, political ideologies and religious beliefs.
She said that agriculture is the base of Burundi’s economy hence the country is seeking Nigerians to invest in the sector to boost the country’s economy.
“In agriculture, our president put his efforts and the base of our development now is in the agriculture sector. That is why we would like to get more investors in the agriculture sector.
“Our country wants to develop the agriculture sector. And I told you that we have many kinds of produce but we need industries. We do not have industries to transform them.
“We have cassava, we need the industry to transform them, because we can get a vast quantity of cassava but we do not have the facilities to preserve them for a long time so they get destroyed.
“That is why we need a lot of investors in agriculture.
“We also need cement factories. The Dangote Cement is imported through Zambia; it is a very big cost. If the industry is implanted in Burundi, it will be good luck to us.”
Ntakirutimana said Burundi and Nigeria have very good relations with so many Nigerians already living and working in different sectors in Burundi.
“Nigeria and Burundi had cooperation a long time ago. The Embassy of Burundi in Nigeria was established in 2008.
“That means that since that time, Nigeria and Burundi began to exchange technologies, some goods, some productions; we exchange also some teachers.
“There are some teachers who leave Nigeria for Burundi, they want to teach in different institutions.
“We have also been helping in construction; there are some Nigerians who want to build some infrastructure, some offices. We cooperate also in politics and in security.
“There are some Burundians who came here to study in the policy sector and the military sector,” she said.
Ntakirutimana said that Burundi, as the heart of Africa, is rich in diverse culture and heritage and the Burundian President, Evariste Ndayishimiye, has invested much in the tourism sector to woo visitors to the country.
She said that to encourage and support the tourism industry, the government of Burundi since Dec. 2021 had made it possible to obtain visas on arrival for all international citizens. (NAN)
