Business
Nigeria, Italy Partner To Promote Exports
Nigeria and Italy
have agreed to partner on the exportation of more hides and skin to Italy.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo said the country exports hides and skin worth billions of naira annually to Italy.
Awolowo said the bulk of the products were from Kano State, stressing that hides and skin business was still booming in spite of the security challenges in the North-East geo-political zone of the country.
He said the NEPC had entered into collaborative ventures with other stakeholders to make meaningful contribution toward reviving the agricultural and industrial sectors in the northern part of the country.
He said Mr. President had initiated the collaborative ventures to reawaken the dead industry in the North-East geo-political zone of the country.
Awolowo said the federal government is working toward sustaining the collaborative ventures because most of the agricultural products are from that region such as sesame seeds, ginger etc.
He said efforts are being made to get the industries in that region running by the government’s effort of budding the clusters required for the industry to thrive.
The NEPC Chief Executive Officer further said that many of the hides and skin clusters are in Kano and that Nigeria exports more than $800 million worth of hides and skin to Italy yearly from Kano alone.
He said Italy is the biggest business partner of Nigeria in the area of hides and skin and called for the sustenance of such friendly business relations between both countries.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.