{"id":921394,"date":"2026-07-21T04:15:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T09:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/kalu-seeks-cuban-cooperation-on-health-trade-agriculture\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T04:15:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T09:15:02","slug":"kalu-seeks-cuban-cooperation-on-health-trade-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/kalu-seeks-cuban-cooperation-on-health-trade-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Kalu Seeks Cuban Cooperation On Health, Trade, Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu<\/a><\/span>, has reaffirmed Nigeria\u2019s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Cuba.<\/p>\n

He said the decades-long relationship between both nations will be strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy and strategic cooperation.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Tuesday while receiving the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, during a courtesy visit at the National Assembly, Kalu described Nigeria\u2013Cuba relations as rooted in solidarity, mutual respect, and cooperation among developing nations.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cLet me reaffirm the nation\u2019s commitment to strengthening our relationship with Cuba. We enjoy the relationship we have shared with Cuba for a very long time, and that goes with acknowledging the long-standing diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Cuba, which dates back several decades. It didn\u2019t start today, and it isn\u2019t going to end anytime soon. In fact, we are going to make sure that it is stronger.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you know, and have rightly pointed out, Nigeria and Cuba share a history that is rooted in solidarity, mutual respect, and cooperation among developing nations. I hope that this visit will further deepen the friendship between our two countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigeria and Cuba may be separated by geography, but shared aspirations unite us in the pursuit of development, human dignity, and international cooperation. I hope we seize this opportunity to build a stronger partnership that delivers tangible benefits to our peoples.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalu welcomed the Cuban Parliament\u2019s invitation conveyed through the ambassador, proposing stronger engagement between the Nigerian National Assembly and Cuba\u2019s legislative institutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have always had it in mind to strengthen the Cuba\u2013Nigeria Friendship Group that we have in the House. I\u2019m sure after this meeting we are going to take it a little further than it has been,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On trade matters, Kalu admitted that the current trade volume between both countries remains modest but said there is \u201croom for growth\u201d under the African Continental Free Trade Area.<\/p>\n

He positioned Nigeria as Cuba\u2019s gateway to Africa, given its population of about 230 million and status as the continent\u2019s largest economy, while describing Cuba as a gateway into Latin America and the Caribbean markets.<\/p>\n

The Deputy Speaker also lauded Cuba\u2019s global reputation in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare.<\/p>\n

He identified opportunities for joint pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine technology transfer, training of Nigerian doctors, scholarships for students, and university collaborations in STEM and biotechnology.<\/p>\n

In agriculture, Kalu pointed to Cuba\u2019s expertise in organic and sustainable farming, urban agriculture, and climate-smart practices as areas for cooperation.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted tourism and cultural diplomacy as key sectors that could strengthen bilateral ties.<\/p>\n

Addressing Cuba\u2019s current energy challenges, as presented by the ambassador, Kalu assured that the House would act swiftly through the Cuba\u2013Nigeria Friendship Group and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n

He also acknowledged an invitation to an international colloquium marking the centenary of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, adding that the House would consider sending a delegation.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Ambassador Palmero called for a more active Cuba\u2013Nigeria Friendship Group to deepen legislative collaboration between both parliaments.<\/p>\n

She noted that about three million Nigerians and people of Nigerian descent live in Cuba and described them as an important bridge between both countries.<\/p>\n

She also highlighted ongoing cooperation in agriculture and health, including vaccine production initiatives, and expressed Cuba\u2019s readiness to expand partnerships with Nigeria\u2019s private sector and chambers of commerce.<\/p>\n

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Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu , has reaffirmed Nigeria\u2019s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Cuba. He said the decades-long relationship between both nations will be strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy and strategic cooperation. Speaking on Tuesday while receiving the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, during a courtesy visit at<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":921395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2648,1720],"tags":[14945,10097],"class_list":["post-921394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cuban","category-seeks","tag-cuban","tag-seeks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=921394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/921395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=921394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=921394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=921394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}