Vice President Namadi Sambo last Tuesday urged companies in
the UK to explore the abundant business opportunities in Nigeria to enhance
their economic status.

Sambo made the call when he received a delegation of
permanent secretaries from the UK, led by Simon Fraser, Permanent Secretary,
Foreign and C commonwealth office, at the State House, Abuja.

He lamented that the UK had left a lot of gap, which other
countries had been exploiting to entrench their economic interests in the
country.

Sambo, however, expressed delight with the new partnership
approach between the two countries, adding that he was confident that the new
initiative would bridge the gap that had hitherto existed.

He recalled the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan
and the British Prime in July in Lagos, “which resulted in the signing of a
communiqué that had been yielding the desired result”.

The vice president commended the actions of the UK that
resulted in some 35 per cent increase in volume of trade between the two
countries.

He briefed the delegation on the steps the government had
taken in the areas of power and alternative sources of power supply,
agriculture, transportation and other infrastructure.

Earlier, Fraser had said that the delegation had fruitful
discussions with Nigeria’s economic community and the Lagos State Government on
economy, security and development.

He said the meetings were a follow-up to the agreements
signed by the two countries to strengthen their mutual relationship and that
the volume of trade had increased by 35 per cent since the signing of the
communiqué.

Fraser said the UK desired to build a bilateral relationship
with Nigeria since both countries shared strategic partnership challenges.

Others at the meeting included Tom Mckane of Defence and
Mark Lawcock of the Department of International Development (DFID), Giles
Lever, Acting British High Commissioner and Richard Montgomery, Head DFID,
Nigeria, as top government officials.