Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Africa must expand partnership and collaboration to ensure diversification of African economies from over-dependence on oil and mineral resources.
Making this assertion was the First Deputy President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Emeka Obegbolu who is also the President of Pan -African Lawyers Union while receiving the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to Nigeria, the Equatorial Guinea Ambassador to Nigeria, Francisco Edu NguaMangue.
The Ambassadors was at the ACCI to seek partnership of Nigerian private sectors for common activities on the diversification of their economies.
Obegbolu noted that in the spirit of AfCFTA, joint activities among African chambers of Commerce and Industry will deepen economic exchange and enhance business prosperity.
Chief Odegbolu who received the team on behalf of the President, Dr. Al-Mujataba Abubakar said, the partnership would be laudable since the two countries have similar trajectory of over dependent in oil and trying to diversify into agriculture and other sectors.
He said the plan of the Chamber is to explore the advantage of partnership through the Chamber of Commerce in Bata, Equatorial Guinea to leverage on business activities that can benefit the two countries.
The visiting Ambassador in his remark said his country has been over dependent in oil but they have now diversify focusing on Mining, Agriculture, Fishery and Livestock while calling on ACCI for their support.
“We have over 50,000 Nigerians in our country so, we are not just trying to do business but to connect with Nigerians.”
He also said they have sectors such as agriculture, mining and others where they want to come in adding that they want ACCI to serve as a link to businesses and business men they want to partner with in Nigeria.
The Director General, ACCI, Victoria Akai who explained the activities of the Centre to the Ambassador requested that AACI to be introduced to the Equatorial Guinea Chamber whereby they can partner in the area of business and trade agreement.
She said recently, the Chamber has been adopted by NACCIMA as a national Centre to cover all the activities of Chambers in Nigeria explaining that the Chamber is an organised private sector funded by members.
Signed
Olayemi John-Mensah
Media/Strategy Officer
ACCI
