Nigeria and Spain have canvassed a global action to avert looming food crisis especially in wheat production occasioned by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

President Muhammadu Buhari and King Felipe VI of Spain made the call when the two leaders met at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday.

The Nigerian leader specifically stressed the need for world leaders to come together and strategise on ways to avert the looming food crisis around the world.

Mr Buhari was at the palace in continuation of his three-day state visit to Spain.

He thanked the Spanish monarch for the invitation and hospitality extended to him since his arrival and updated him on happenings in Nigeria especially as the country gears up for general elections.

The two leaders urged world leaders to take concrete actions to avert the food crisis.

The monarch said Nigeria was an important country and looked forward to an opportunity to visit the country especially against the background of stronger cooperation being forged by the two countries.

In a separate meeting with President Pedro Sanchez, Mr Buhari said his country looked forward to increasing bilateral relations between both nations.

He commended his Spanish counterpart for his leadership qualities and contributions in the war against terror in sub-Saharan Africa especially in Mali, looking forward to cooperation in the area.

The president’s media aide Femi Adesina, in a statement, said the two leaders discussed areas of cooperation on which agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed.

According to Mr Sanchez, as a major partner of Spain in Africa, Nigeria is a country that Spaniards want to have a stronger partnership with.

Spain is currently the largest importer of Nigerian gas and the third-largest importer of the country’s crude, and with the visit.

At the end of the visit, nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed (Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Extradition; Economic and Commercial Cooperation; Tourism; Sports; Health; the Fight against COVID-19; and Science and Innovation). 

(NAN)