Business
Forum Wants US To Open Office In N’Delta
The forum of South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has urged the American embassy in Nigeria to open a commercial office in the Niger Delta.
The President of the forum, Prince Billy Harry, told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday that the region had enormous business potentials, which the proposed office could handle.
He said that the business community in the region found it difficult and cumbersome travelling to Lagos or Abuja for issues which such consular office could handle.
“What it means is that businessmen and women from the Niger Delta region spend more money to get consular services for one day. We also expose ourselves to risk while embarking on such journeys,’’ he said.
Harry said the forum had formally made the request to the American embassy in Nigeria to consider opening the commercial or consular office in any part of the region.
“Our focus is that the U.S. embassy should bring a comprehensive, commercial and consular services and business section to the south-south. And it can be established in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, or Warri because this is the centre of activities, not just of oil and gas.
The south-south is also very aggressively engaged in agriculture, they are engaged in trading.
“Most of the seaports that bring in goods for trade are here in the south-south, and we have an international airport. So, it is important for the embassies not only the U.S., like UK, France, all of these embassies that are doing big time business, especially for the south-south to establish robust business offices that should be able to work effectively,” he said.