The Federal Government says the approval of the NIgeria-Saudi Arabia Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NSCCIMA), will increase trade volume between both countries and reduce trust deficit.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Thursday in Abuja, when the President of the Chamber, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman paid him a courtesy visit.
Usman presented a
copy of the Certificate of Registration of the Chamber to the minister.
Mohammed hailed the registration of the Chambers after 11 years,
adding that it would improve the volume of trade between both countries,
currently put at about five million dollars.
He said the Chamber will also become a clearing house for
businesses and investments, thereby, reducing trust deficit between
business men from both countries.
According to the minister, the Chambers is the beginning of a new
relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, though both countries
have cordial relations.
“It will change the narrative that relationship between Nigeria and
Saudi Arabia is from the narrow perspective of religion and pilgrimage.
“It will create a bridge for better cooperations between the two
important nation’s in the areas of petroleum industry, cottage industry,
IT, Power, and creative industry.
“It is, therefore, not a coincidence that Nigeria will soon be
receiving 60 inter-ministerial delegation from Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The minister charged Nigerian business community to take the
opportunity of the Chamber to increase the trade volume between both
countries.
He also corrected the erroneous impression that non-Moslem cannot
invest in Saudi Arabia, saying that America is Saudi’s biggest trading
partner.
The minister thanked the president of the Chamber for his vision and resilience.
Earlier, the president of the Chamber said in spite the large
number of Nigerians flooding Saudi for Umrah and Hajj, the official
volume of trade between both oil rich countries was at least
disappointing.
He said Nigerians had not taken the advantage of Saudi magnanimity
by creating excellent windows of assistance through bilateral
cooperations.
“For instance, whereas 46 countries including Egypt, Pakistan,
Sudan , Kenya, Ghana have been enjoying billions of dollars in soft
loans and trade related soft term facilities under the Saudi Export
Programme, no single dollar of facility was advanced to any business in
Nigeria.”
He said that Nigeria had a lot to learn from Saudi Arabia which has
over the years built fantastic industrial estates in all their key
cities.
Usman also corroborated the minister that religion would not be a
barrier to investors because Saudi Arabia was opening up its immigration
and economic policies based on its 2030 Vision
He said Saudi recently opened its visa policy to investors and
visitors entering any part of the country, except Mecca and Medina.
Usman said such visitors and investors irrespective of their
religion, would be given visa on arrival, if they have a valid U.S. or
UK visa.
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