… As Minister Invites Japan to Invest in Nigeria

The Nigeria’s Vice President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is the country’s acting President in the absence of ailing boss who is still in Sadia Arabia on medical vacation, has started to receive letters of credence from new envoys in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Goodluck Jonathan who has continued to receive supports and goodwill of Nigerians including governors and legislators is expected to take charge of the country as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria once the federal legislators finalised the motions and put in place legal mechanisms to protect his office.

Dr. Jonathan has received two Ambassadors and two High Commissioners to Nigeria during separate ceremonies at the State House, Presidential Villa in Abuja. The Ambassadors are Mr. Saad Abdullah Al-Assousi of Kuwait and Mr. Miroslav Kumarov of Bulgaria while the High Commissioners are Alhaji Issifu Baba-Braimah Kamara of Ghana and Mr. Derek Leask of New Zealand, a non resident envoy.

While congratulating Al-Assousi on his appointment as the pioneer resident Ambassador to Nigeria, he acknowledged the support of the Government of Kuwait for assisting Nigerian students in the areas of training and sponsorship and urged the new envoy to link up with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to work out possible bilateral agreement on trade relations.

He also urged the representatives of the four countries to continue to cooperate with Nigeria to strengthen the relationship particularly in the area of trade, scholarships and investment.

 Meanwhile in another development the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Humphrey Enemakwu Abah has appealed to Japanese business committee to expand its trade, investment and economic co-operation with Nigeria.

Mr. Abah was speaking when Japanese business delegation led by the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria Toshitsudu Uesawa, paid the Minister a courtesy visit in his office. He said Nigeria exports to Japan were basically primary products which include crude oil, agricultural commodities such as Timber, Spices and Rubber etc while Nigeria imports a wide range of products from Japan which include electrical and electronics, steel, automobiles, industrial equipment and machineries.

The Minister called on members of the organized private sector of both countries to strive and strengthen the existing level of interaction and cooperation by providing information and partnership on how to explore trade and investment opportunities between them.

He therefore invites Japan to take advantage of the various incentives available in Nigeria’s Export Processing Zones by taking the opportunity to invest in all sectors of the Nigerian economy including agriculture, telecommunication, oil and gas, energy and transportation.

Earlier, the head of Japanese delegation who is the Ambassador of Japan in Nigeria had said that bilateral trade agreements should not stop at the level of agreement but monitoring and implementation of such agreements should be considered.