Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Canada.

Integrating with the world economy through trade and global value chains, driving economic growth locally and globally. The GCCI Canada engagements in countries have made trade across borders easier. 

GLOBE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, CANADA

 

GLOBE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, CANADA

GLOBE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, CANADA supporting the work of foreign markets for Canadian businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises, women, youth, entrepreneurs and new exporters, and many other intergovernmental bodies, both international and regional.

European Parliament backs Okonjo-Iweala, says she’s well-equipped

The European Parliament has endorsed the candidacy of Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in her quest to lead the World Trade Organisation as Director-General.

The Parliament in a letter on Wednesday said it screened the two remaining candidates in the WTO DG race — Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea — and was convinced that the Nigerian candidate has the ‘energy’ and is ‘well-equipped’ for the job.

In the letter signed by the Co-chairs of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO Steering Group, Bernd Lange and Sven Simon, the EP said it was satisfied with Okonjo-Iweala’s level of requirements and skills.

It, therefore, urged the European Union to express support for the candidacy of the former World Bank director.

The letter titled, ‘EP Exchanges of Views with WTO Director-General candidates’, partly read, “On 19 October, the EP’s Steering Group of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation organised exchanges of views with the two remaining candidates for the role of Director-General of the WTO.

“On this occasion, both candidates gave us an extensive account of their plans for the future of the organisation and the approach they would choose in order to deal with the crises that are currently threatening the multilateral trading system.

“Both candidates are extremely experienced, well qualified and knowledgeable, and have their own clear visions for the WTO’s future and priorities, and the Director-General’s role in shaping it, as well concerning the important role for parliamentarians in that future.

“During the discussions, we appreciated, in particular, the vision that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala presented for tackling the substantial challenges the organisation is facing.

“Her assessment of the existing problems of the organisation revealed a deep understanding of the fault lines dividing the WTO’s membership.

“The points she set out for her first steps after being appointed to the position reveal a clear-eyed agenda, tackling head-on key topics such as special and differential treatment, industrial subsidies and dispute settlement reform while recognising the need for positive momentum through the conclusion of agreements on issues such as fisheries, e-commerce, and health.

“Dr Okonjo-Iweala appears to be well-equipped for being the fair broker who could bring key players together and help them find the compromises that will be needed to resolve the WTO‘s complex set of challenges and the deep disagreements between its members.

“We, therefore, very much hope that the EU will be able to support Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy during the last round,” the parliament noted.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that 79 out of the 164 states that comprise the WTO endorsed Nigeria’s first female finance and foreign minister for the job.

The global trade body is set to be led by a woman for the first time whichever of the two candidates is successful in their bid to follow Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as WTO director-general in August a year ahead of schedule.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, who has a 25-year career behind her as a development economist at the World Bank, said it would be good if WTO could also boast its first African leader.

The initial pool of eight candidates for the WTO’s top post, which has been whittled down over two rounds of consultations, had included three Africans, and the AU had until now refrained from offering an official endorsement.

The third and final round of consultations seeking to establish consensus around one candidate is due to begin next week and end on October 27, with the announcement due in early November.

Time for Nigeria to break restrictive trade shackles

Nigeria, as Africa’s biggest economy, is set to be a key player in the African Continental Free Trade Area but its challenges in leveraging this opportunity are significant.

Participants at an Economic Commission for Africa workshop at the end of 2019 on Nigeria’s preparedness for the new trade regime highlighted the fact that the cost of doing business in the country and the dilapidated physical infrastructure were among the key priority areas that need to be addressed by the government.

The country has yet to ratify the 55-nation continental free-trade zone, which is expected to create a $3.4trn economic bloc with 1.3bn people across Africa.

The official launch of trading has been shifted from second quarter this year to early 2021 to enable countries to deal with the Covid-19 crisis; this also allows African countries more time to prepare.

But Nigeria’s enthusiasm for the AfCFTA has been lacking as it grapples with longstanding domestic issues that may affect its success in this regard.

Although it was a leader in the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) in 1975, it was one of the last countries to sign the AfCFTA agreement. 

Nigeria’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo says the country’s National Action Committee of the AfCFTA, which he heads, needs to be sure that Nigerian industries will be protected before it recommends that the President ratifies the agreement.

He says they are also interrogating the rules of origin proposals closely to ensure that the agreement will not mean Nigeria becoming a dumping ground for exports from other regions, routed through African countries. “We are the largest individual market in Africa, so we have to be careful about this.”

High costs of doing business in Nigeria and significant infrastructural deficits, particularly power shortages, mean many local manufacturing and agricultural enterprises are performing below their potential and may not survive with competition.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria says the country’s uncompetitive production environment, poor value addition culture, and low capacity utilisation would not serve Nigeria well under the AfCFTA. It says Nigerian manufacturers need to be innovative in terms of adding value, given that many countries have the same products and resources.

Border closure impacts

But Nigeria has other issues to tackle that affect its participation in the world’s biggest free trade zone. One of these is the year-long closure of borders with its neighbours, specifically Benin, which benefits from its proximity to the megacity of Lagos.

Closing the road borders in August 2019 was intended to fight smuggling, which undermined Nigeria’s attempts to become self-sufficient in food production, and to give it the space to stimulate production of essential food items such as rice. It also aimed to stop the leakage of low-priced subsidised fuel from Nigeria into its higher-priced neighbours.  

Despite being well-intended, the move has created shortages of staple foods, with local production not yet up to speed to compensate for the sharp reduction in imports in many cases, and food prices have spiked, driving up inflation.

With Nigeria being the economic powerhouse of Ecowas, the regional implications have been significant, particularly for neighbouring Benin, a tiny country whose trade dependence on Nigeria accounts for up to 70% of its GDP.

Other countries, including Ghana, rely on the Abidjan-Lagos highway for access to markets. Businesses inside Nigeria have been forced to rely on the congested ports in Lagos for imported inputs and many traders have lost their livelihoods.

The move has also significantly reduced the volume of non-oil exports to the region. Intra-Ecowas exports account for 45% of Nigeria’s intra-Africa exports – but only 16% of intra-Africa imports.

The closure, vigorously defended by Nigeria as being in its national interest, goes against Ecowas protocols and the spirit of the AfCFTA. Talks on the issue have taken place at the regional level but a date on reopening the borders proved to be elusive, with the global border lockdowns buying Nigeria more time.

According to online trade portal Tralac, Nigeria’s main trading partner within sub-Saharan Africa was South Africa in 2017/18, which accounts for 46% of its total intra-African trade. Nigeria is one of Pretoria’s main sources of crude oil. Other main African trading partners include Côte’Ivoire (15%), Togo (12% and Senegal (7%) while destinations for Nigeria’s exports include Cameroon, Egypt, Namibia and Mozambique.

But African nations are not among Nigeria’s main trading partners globally, which include Brazil, China, India, Japan, the US and the European Union.

Trade restrictions

The country has relied on trade restrictions since the 1970s to spur industrialisation and increasingly, in the wake of low oil prices, to save scarce foreign exchange.

The items on these lists have changed over the years but where items were removed from the prohibition list, they often attracted high duties and tariffs to serve the same end.

There has been some progress in improving local production as a result of these measures, but the outcomes have been compromised by the lack of supply side mechanisms to enable business to properly benefit from the restrictions. Smugglers have also played a role here by moving into market gaps created by the restrictions to service this import-dependent country.

The share of manufacturing as a percentage of GDP has lingered in the region of 10% for years, rising slightly to 13% in 2018. Economists say that under the right conditions, Nigeria should be able to increase this to over 40% by 2030. It is not yet clear whether the free trade agreement will help or hinder Nigeria’s ability to reach this target.

In acceding to the free trade agreement, there are bound to be many positive outcomes for resilient Nigerian companies. But the country may also end up paying the price of years of relying on restrictive trade policies, rather than investing in productive capacity, to grow the economy.

Following the border closures, use of the port in Lagos, which deals with about 90% of trade into and out of Nigeria, benefited government revenues, with more duties being collected on the increased volume of goods entering the country legally.

However, this was a double-edged sword as the situation also worsened already critical congestion levels at the facility, which was battling to keep abreast of traffic. Over the past year, it has taken goods between 20 days and a month to move through the port, leaving importers facing high demurrage costs.

Efforts to improve the efficiency of goods through the port have been ongoing for decades without much result. The Buhari administration is doing its bit. Over the past two years, the government has reduced the number of agencies operating at the port, for example, and aims to have all these institutions interfacing with importers and exporters through a single portal. 

Last year the Federal Government established the Presidential Task Team under the leadership of the Vice President to address the problem. It claimed in mid-2020 that it had succeeded in addressing the congestion and clearing the port of cartels that profiteered on the back of the dysfunction. But the real test will be when the country is at full economic strength in the post-lockdown era.

A more lasting solution is likely to be the plan to link the 156km Lagos-Ibadan rail line to the Apapa port complex to improve the speed and efficiency of goods in and out of the area. The rail tracks have been completed while the 10 stations along its route, including Apapa, are at different stages of completion.

Trade Nigeria Adopt a Continent-Wide Approach to Business

Nigeria’s export value to African countries, pushed beyond $6.99 billion in 2018, while the rest of the world totaled $45.92 billion during the same period.

With market size of 1.2 billion people, and combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3 trillion, there is huge potential for Nigeria to increase its export to Africa.

Nigeria can bring trade back to Africa and increase activity in the continent in agriculture, mining amongst others. 

Trade Nigeria is committed to Nigeria and Africa as the foremost trade giant and with its unequivocal support for global value chain and readiness to use its platform to facilitate trade as well as using its initiatives to support governments and businesses.

The organization has shift focus to adopt a continent-wide approach to business and also  wealth creation to make the country relevant in the global value chain. There must be commitment and readiness for trade facilitation in the country.

“No country is so poor that it has nothing to give and no country is so rich that it has nothing to receive. All of us must come together to become better.

Nigeria - Japan Bilateral Trade Mission and Business Delegation

TRADE NIGERIA driving Nigeria’s nonoil export development in line with the government's economic diversification plan.

Given our organization risk management architecture, we have put strategies in place to minimize the Covid 19 impact on Trade.

The organization have restructured all its projects to give business in the country  some respite, in line with the regulatory given by the federal government to promote trade in the country. 

For this reason, Trade Nigeria have taken steps to host  Joint Trade Mission and Business Delegation, of Industries, Investment and Commerce in #JAPAN #SOUTH KOREA #CZECH #AUSTRALIA 2020 for Business Men, Captains of Industry, local manufacturers and entrepreneurs in business as well as Captains of Industry in (Japan, Czech, Australia South Korea), business Men Manufacturers. etc.    

Participation is open to all sector.

For inquiries on how to participate visit:

Trade Nigeria

Head Office:

Edo House, Abuja.

Suite 5-05, fifth floor,

Central Business District, Abuja

South – South, South – East, Regional Office

No. 6 Omerelu GRA Phase 1,

Portharcourt. Rivers State

Contact:

08161261262, 07056863770

Traders Business Forum, 2021

 Traders Business Forum, 2021. Designed to champion, sustain and deepen trade and investment relationship in Nigeria.

Trade Is Key to Africa’s Economic Growth

Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industries and it member committee encourages all African countries to Participate in the Africa Export Conference 2021. Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa to further boost Africa export promotion and competiveness.

Trade is the key to long-term, sustainable economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Because trade is vital to sub-Saharan Africa's economic future and to improving lives and livelihoods, the Africa Export Conference 2021. Sandton Convention Centre Johannesburg, South Africa, is an important venue for cultivation of trade opportunities in Africa. 

Trade is critically important to economic development. Right now, Africa has about 2 percent of all world trade, which is hard to believe when you think about all of the tremendous resources that Africa have - oil, diamonds, gold ... not to mention all the agricultural products such as coffee, tea, cocoa - and to think that Africa still only has 2 percent of world trade is really incredible. But with the power of trade if Africans can be able to increase share of world trade from 2 to 3 percent, that 1 percentage increase would actually generate about $70 billion of additional income annually for Africa," or about three times the total development assistance Africa gets from the entire world.

Many countries in Asia and Latin America, don't have even one smidgen of Africa's natural resources - a country like South Korea, for example - yet they are huge players in the global trading system. This is why the Africa Export Conference 2021. Sandton Convention Centre Johannesburg, South Africa is one initiative aimed at expanding the aspect of Africa economic relationship.

Countries in the sub-Saharan Africa needs to collaborate in many areas and take full advantage of the export conference and worldwide trading opportunities and send exports to emerging markets such as China, India etc.

Africa is unlikely to be competitive globally if it not competitive regionally. Africans must begin trading more with each other. Africans trade the least with each other than all the other continents. It is improving. We are seeing a greater increase in intra-African trade. African countries needs open their borders with each other and trade with each other to attain the level of competition that will allow the region to be major providers of any product globally."

Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industries and it member committee encourages all African countries to Participate in the Africa Export Conference 2021. Sandton Convention Centre Johannesburg, South Africa to further boost Africa export promotion and competiveness.

WTO DG: Okonjo-Iweala gets the backing of 79 countrie

Nigeria’s candidate for the vacant World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General post, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has expressed confidence in her quest to lead the crisis-ridden global trade organization after all of Africa backed her candidacy, vowing she would champion reform.

This disclosure was made by Nigeria’s former Finance Minister at a virtual press briefing on Friday, October 17, 2020, after 55-member African Union officially supported her over the sole remaining opponent, Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea.

Okonjo-Iweala during the virtual press briefing said, “I feel the wind behind my back,”

She said she was thrilled to learn that all African countries are supporting her. According to her, this is in addition to a group of Caribbean and Pacific countries, who had promised to back her, bringing the number of countries officially endorsing her candidacy to 79 out of the 164 countries that comprise the WTO.

She was also optimistic of support from Latin American and felt she has gotten very good traction and good support in Asia so far.

She said the European Union was meanwhile due to announce its preference soon and feels quite confident that across the regions, they will be able to attract support.

The global trade body is set to be led by a woman for the first time whichever of the two candidates is successful in their bid to succeed Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as WTO director-general in August a year ahead of schedule.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, who served as Nigeria’s first female finance and foreign minister and has a 25-year career behind her as a development economist at the World Bank, said it would be good if WTO could also boast its first African leader.

She said, “If that person is African and a woman, I think that is great. Because… neither an African nor a woman has led the organization.’’

“The WTO at this time with the challenges it confronts needs a very competent Director General who is able to have the political reach and stature to be able to do reforms and deal at very high levels. It is not only having those skills, but having them all meet in one person at this juncture when the WTO needs that.”

The WTO was already grappling with stalled trade talks and struggling to manage tensions including trade disputes between the United States and China, even before the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

The global trade body has also faced relentless attacks from the United States, which has crippled the WTO dispute settlement appeal system and threatened to leave the organization altogether.

Okonjo-Iweala said she had broad experience in championing reform and was the right person to help put the WTO back on track.

She said, “I am a reform candidate and I think the WTO needs the reform credentials and skills now.”

It can be recalled that the initial pool of 8 candidates for the WTO’s top post, which has been reduced after 2 rounds of elimination processes, had included 3 Africans, and the AU had until now refrained from offering an official endorsement.

The third and final round of consultations seeking to establish consensus around one candidate is due to begin next week and end on October 27, with the announcement due in early November.

Nigeria – Czech Business Week and Trade Expo.

Trade Nigeria in partnership with Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other Government Trade Agencies in the country will host delegation of Business Men, Captains of Industry, and local manufacturers from Czech. The six-day trip to Nigeria will promoted trade, tourism, and investment opportunities between Nigeria and Czech. 

The business week will boost and diversify the region’s economy by strengthening international connections. This new step highlights the value of collaboration and cooperation between Nigeria and Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic is one of the most successful CEE countries in terms of attracting foreign direct investment. Over 173,000 Czech firms across all sectors are now supported by foreign capital. According to the Czech National Bank, a total amount of EUR 77.8 billion worth of FDI has been recorded 

National Automobile and Auto Automotive & Technical Graduate Trainee Program

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B2B MANUFACTURERS FORUM AND CONVENTION

we takes pride in our trade events, expos and conferences and facilitates Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and improving the economy.

The Executive Director Trade Nigeria Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George. Received Mr Stephan ctibor Bene, Head and chief of commerce and Trade, Czech Trade, Nigeria at the Trade Nigeria Head Office Abuja.

The Executive Director Trade Nigeria Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George. (Left) Received Mr Stephan ctibor Bene, (Right) Head and chief of commerce and Trade, Czech Trade, Nigeria at the Trade Nigeria Head Office Abuja.

Interactive Section with Mr Stephan ctibor Bene, Head and chief of commerce and Trade, Czech Trade, Nigeria and Executive Director, Trade Nigeria Organization Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George

Embassy of Czech republic, Mr Stephan ctibor Bene, Head and chief of commerce and Trade, Czech Trade, Nigeria, Executive Director, Trade Nigeria Organization Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George

Nigeria - Japan Bilateral Trade Mission and Business Delegation

 

TRADE NIGERIA driving Nigeria’s nonoil export development in line with the government's economic diversification plan.

Given our organization risk management architecture, we have put strategies in place to minimize the Covid 19 impact on Trade.

The organization have restructured all its projects to give business in the country  some respite, in line with the regulatory given by the federal government to promote trade in the country. 

For this reason, Trade Nigeria have taken steps to host  Joint Trade Mission and Business Delegation, of Industries, Investment and Commerce in #JAPAN #SOUTH KOREA #CZECH #AUSTRALIA 2020 for Business Men, Captains of Industry, local manufacturers and entrepreneurs in business as well as Captains of Industry in (Japan, Czech, Australia South Korea), business Men Manufacturers. etc.    

Participation is open to all sector.

For inquiries on how to participate visit:

Trade Nigeria

Head Office:

Edo House, Abuja.

Suite 5-05, fifth floor,

Central Business District, Abuja

South – South, South – East, Regional Office

No. 6 Omerelu GRA Phase 1,

Portharcourt. Rivers State

Contact:

08161261262, 07056863770

Trade Nigeria

 

Centre for International Trade Promotions, Investment, Economic, Research and Development

Relations between Nigeria and Japan, the third largest economy in the world, have been largely economic and trade-driven.

Despite current challenges impose on the economy by covid 19, there is good news and reasons to celebrate in the season.

After the Asia edition of the Nigeria – Asia Joint Trade Mission and Business Delegation of Industries, Investment and Commerce in Singapore, which provided platforms for Asia Companies, Industries and Business Networking/matchmaking Session for Asia Businessmen and their Nigerian counterparts.

The Japanese business community developed renewed interest in Nigeria. To further strengthen this economic and trade relations between both countries, Trade Nigeria in partnership with Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Trade and Investment Department), Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other trade stakeholders will host a Joint Trade Mission in Japan 3^rd – 6^th December, 2020 for Business Men, Captains of Industry, local manufacturers and entrepreneurs in business as well as Captains of Industry in Japan, business Men, Manufactures etc.    

Participation is open to all sector.

For inquiries on how to participate visit:

Trade Nigeria

Head Office:

Edo House, Abuja.

Suite 5-05, fifth floor,

Central Business District, Abuja

South – South, South – East, Regional Office

No. 6 Omerelu GRA Phase 1,

Portharcourt. Rivers State

Contact:

Central Control Line:

08161261262, 07056863770

 

Japan Now Nigeria's 5th Largest Foreign Investor, Says Embassy

The Embassy of Nigeria in Japan has disclosed that Japan is the fifth foreign investor in Nigeria, saying there are steady improvements in trade and economic relations between the two countries before the outbreak of COVID-19.

In a statement by the Charge de' Affairs, Dr. Tope Elias-Fatile on Friday, the embassy disclosed that the number of Japanese companies in Nigeria had increased from 32 in 2017 to 43 in 2020.

The World Trade Organization Announced Final Choice to be its New Director-General between South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee and Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The World Trade Organization  announced that the final choice to be its new director-general will be between South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee and Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The protracted battle to secure one of the plum international jobs will be decided early next month, with the winning candidate faced with a number of pressing problems.

The choice between a seasoned trade official in Yoo and a candidate in Okonjo-Iweala 

Nigeria - Japan Bilateral Trade Mission and Business Delegation Tokyo, Japan. 3rd to 6th December, 2020

To further strengthen trade and investment relations between both countries (Nigeria - Japan) for Africa development. Trade Nigeria in partnership with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Trade and Investment Department), Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other Trade Expert Team will lead Nigeria Investors to Japan. 3^rd – 6^th December, 2020.

Japan is one of the 20 countries identified as strategically important to Nigeria for investment promotion.   

 

For participation and inquiries visit:

Trade Nigeria

Head Office:

Edo House, Abuja.

Suite 5-05, fifth floor,

Central Business District, Abuja

 South – South, South – East, Regional Office

No. 6 Omerelu GRA Phase 1,

Portharcourt. Rivers State

Contact:

Central Control Line:

08161261262, 07056863770 

CommonWealth Fashion Week and Awards: Fresh Breath For African Fashion, Textile, Leather Industries.

Putting the entertainment flair that normally goes with fashion events aside, Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George has revealed that the major aim of the CommonWealth Fashion Week and Awards is to give fresh breath to African fashion, textile and leather industries.

CommonWealth Fashion Week and Awards scheduled for June 2021, by Globe Chambers of Commerce and Industries will be a confluence of Africa’s fashion related industries.

“We want to use the event to promote made in Africa fashion products. Cosmetics inclusive. Fashion has become everything we do and it is one important industry that grows individuals and economies of nations” Buchi George said.

Billed for Kigali, Rwanda, CommonWealth Fashion Week and Awards will witness Africa Garments, Leather Industries and Textile Expo at the same period Common Wealth Head Of Government Meeting CHOGM  will be taking place in Rwanda.

“We have done a couple of fashion events around the world in the past and this one is really exciting for us” Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George.

“Covid-19 pandemic saw CHOGM postponed to 2021 and we want to also take that advantage to spice things up with another event that will attract people from around the world”

“African fabrics for instance should be household items around the continent, but so bad that some of them have hardly left the shores of the owners’ countries. We want to share their heritage and we want to see people wearing them with pride around the world because in Africa, one thing we care so much about is our heritage which is what our fashion industries connote”, he said.

Beyond having lots of participants, Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George is looking forward to making the event a fashion fair that will feature many countries of the continent and he believes that the economical impact will be very massive.

Explore Our Trade Mission Opportunities.

How great is it to expose yourself to new market opportunities planned and organized by Trade Nigeria in partnership with Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Trade Expert Teams and Professionals who are focused on creating the most effective trade mission for you.

Reasons why you should Participate in our Trade Mission.

1. Minimizing risk in exploring new markets = competitive advantage

This support saves you time and money. You don’t need to worry about trying to book meetings and map how to travel across unknown cities and countries to attend events and meet with potential buyers. Instead, you can focus on preparing your best pitch for the meetings and event.

2. Meeting new people = new opportunities to sell 

Not only can you talk business and build relationships that position you to win business from connections on the trade mission, you also meet other suppliers and contacts.

3. Being present = valuable market insight and new champions 

Showing up and creating a base for relationships by participating in interesting conversations is a powerful way to promote your business in the minds of prospective buyers and partners in international markets. The best champions can be other trade mission participants who can introduce and sell the benefits of each other’s businesses. Watching this in action is remarkable, as we often have a difficult time sharing our own value propositions. An introduction by someone else creates a new story for us to tell with confidence. Listening to someone else describe us can be an excellent way to refine our message and attract potential business opportunities.

FOLLOW US:

tradenigeriaorg.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tradenigeriaportharcourt/

                      Grow - Connect - Expand

Nigeria@60: With A Set ‘Nigeria Dream’, We Can Be Giant Of The World - Buchi George

President of Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George has said that only when there is a set ‘Nigerian Dream’ can Nigeria truly be the giant of Africa.

 Hon. Buchi George who spoke on the occasion of the 60th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria, said the nation has every bone of greatness in it, but bad policies and poor implementation has seen Nigeria lag where it is supposed to lead.

 He said that “Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources has already been overstated and what is most important is what the country can achieve with these things”.

 “Nigeria is a great nation; you can imagine being tagged a giant of Africa the way we are today and what will happen when things become the way they are meant to be. We can be one of the giants of the world because our global records in investments, human capital development and manpower has not been matched by any other nation”

 “Nigeria is one Africa nation with very successful individuals around the world and that simply means that with a good environment, Nigerians can do great things. This means that one thing we should be aiming at, is a Nigerian dream that will create this enabling environment and encourage our people to thrive”

Hon. Nwabueze Buchi George said that the ‘Nigerian Dream’ should be aimed at building a nation where politicians will no longer campaign with roads and electricity. A nation where neglect of rule of law, ethnicity and religious intolerance will be a thing of the past.

“If we set that standard, what it means is that our leaders irrespective of their political backgrounds will chase this dream of greatness on our behalf. As a trade and investment expert, I’ve come to see that with a little scale up on the usual interstate conventional trade in Nigeria, things will change, but there are issues holding us back”

“Only the liberals can experience liberation and if we keep harping on ethnicism, religion and unhealthy politics, Nigeria will remain where it is”, he said.

Through the Globe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the United Nations Ambassador has put up both local and international trade and investment fora, one of the ways he believes his quota is being contributed.

 “Nigeria will be great when we all understand that everyone will not be a Dangote or the president. When we understand the importance of the drivers, roadside mechanics, traders, newspaper vendors and everyone working hard to survive genuinely, we’ll be on that path”

 “So far, we have done a lot in the past, but because of the new normal, we are shifting focus to 2021 with some great programs that will give both Nigeria and the entire Africa a good face in world trade and investment circle”

He listed Australia Africa Economic Forum; Japan Africa Economic Forum; Africa Economic and Investment Forum, Berlin Germany;  Czech Africa Economic and Investment Forum and Asia Africa Economic Forum, as some of the events in line to ease the recovery process of Nigeria and Africa from the covid-19 pandemic.