Minister of State for Industry Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Yalwaji Katagum has said that Nigeria would continue to deepen bilateral relationship with other countries such as the Republic of Ireland to boost trade and investment opportunities.
In a statement signed on Monday by the Deputy Director Information in the Ministry, Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, the Minister said this when she met with a team from the Republic of Ireland, who visited her Abuja office.
The team was led by the Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, H.E. Peter Ryan.
Ambassador Ryan said that he was in the Ministry to seek further collaboration and build on the existing relationship between Ireland and Nigeria.
He said that his country would embark on a Ministerial visit to Nigeria, as the Republic of Ireland was interested in partnering with Nigeria in the area of agriculture, research and Fintech among others.
On the African continent, the Minister said that the Federal Government was committed to providing necessary supports to ensure the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
Amb. Katagum described Nigeria as a very strategic country in the implementation of AfCFTA.
Katagum said that the Nigerian government was committed to providing necessary support for businesses to participate meaningfully.
She highlighted various policies and programmes such as the formulation of Trade policy, Investment policy, Auto policy among others put in place by her Ministry to facilitate bilateral trade and investments in the country.
The Minister said that the Ministry, through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) had also set up Trade houses in Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya and other parts of the world to improve non-oil exports.