US To Partner Eccima On Investments

The United States of America (USA), has expressed its
readiness to partner with the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (ECCIMA), in attracting American investors to the South East geo
political zone of the country.

The US, has therefore, urged the Federal Government of
Nigeria to do everything within its powers in tackling the present alarming
rate of security challenges bedeviling the nation.

Speaking at the weekend during a breakfast interactive forum
with members of ECCIMA and some major stakeholders from the private sector in
the South East, an Economic Officer from the Economic Department of the US
Consulate General’s office in the American Embassy in Lagos, Mr. Robert Folley,
disclosed that the new economic tie between ECCIMA and the United States, would
go a long way in creating a lot of opportunities for businessmen from the zone
who want to be linked up with American investors.

He further disclosed that their visit to the coal city state
of Enugu was part of their ongoing tour of southern states of Nigeria with the
aim of knowing about business opportunities in the area as well as deepen the
existing relationship between ECCIMA and the United States Centre For
International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Washington DC, which he said had come
a long way.

Folley, who led another Economic specialist, Mrs. Mayowa
Obilade (Nigerian), and a political officer, Kirk Donahoe from the same office,
told the participants that the commercial department in the US Consulate-
General’s office is always ready and willing in assisting any businessman from
the eastern part of the nation to get necessary business information from their
country.

Nigeria, according to him, remains a large and untapped
market in the globe, saying his country has interest in areas such as power,
coal, agriculture, oil and gas, among other sectors, adding that though US
investors can only come to the country if their security is guaranteed .

He stated that the United States government had always been
at the forefront of encouraging export promotion and economic ties between
nations of the world including Nigeria.

The economic officer, had during the meeting assured
management of ECCIMA of the US exhibitors participation in the forthcoming 2013
Enugu International Trade Fair which has been scheduled to take place in March
next year.

President of ECCIMA, Dr.Theo Okonkwo, had in his remarks,
stressed the need for US to deepen and consolidate such existing relationship
“in order to boost and re-invent business and economic ties that had long
existed between our people and nations which seem to have been slow over the
last decades.

His words: “I have no doubt that you are aware of the
abundance of coal in large commercial quantity in Enugu State with many other
Agro/mineral resources in the state and South East region of Nigeria. I was
meant to understand that you have visited the headquarters of the Nigeria Coal
Corporation (NCC) in the course of your visit to the state”.

The ECCIMA boss, who told the visitors that the south east
has a lot of investment opportunities for which local raw materials are
available, had appealed to the US Embassy especially the commercial /Economic
Department to review the issue of embargo placed on participation in
international trade fairs in Nigeria including that of Enugu.

Most of the stakeholders including the Director-General
(DG), of ECCIMA, Sir Emeka Okereke, the former president of the chamber, Mr.
Chike Nwizu, had during the question and answer session, urged the visitors to
bring down the US trade mission to Enugu as well as start showing interest in
the area of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) which remain a driving
force in any economy, rather than laying so much emphasis on multi- national
companies.