The Commercial Services of the United States Embassy has reiterated its commitment to partner with the Asaba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ASACCIMA) and the business community in Delta State.
Representative of the United States Commercial Services, David Russel, disclosed this recently during a one-day interactive session with ASACCIMA and businessmen and women in Asaba.
Russell said the essence of the meeting was to reach out to Nigerian businessmen and women, who would be willing to do businesses with the United State as well as build a synergy between them.
He said the choice of Delta State was due to the business and commercial viability of the State.
According to him, the United States, under its “Networking with USA (NUSA) programme is focused on networking businesses in the country, especially those in viable business cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Delta to America.
“We are here to ensure that we build United State presence, United States market share in Delta State by connecting with the business community.
“We have been to various places such as Lagos, Abuja and we are now here in Asaba, Delta State.
“We have seen where the country’s commerce takes place and we are looking at the new dimension of connecting American businesses with the Nigerian business.
“We are particularly here today in Asaba, the Delta State capital, because of its proximity to Onitsha,” he said.
Russell also said the meeting would also help the team to build contacts within Nigerian businessmen and women.
“We need to have an in-depth of Nigerian companies that are qualified and are engaged in meaningful commerce ahead of time,” he said.
On benefits of United States businesses to the Nigerian economy, he said: “U.S. technology services are among the best in the world today.
“When you do business with us, you are doing business with someone who is looking to do business in the right way.
United States is not only the most innovative in the world, but they are also among the world’s best in terms of businesses.
“Those who are opportuned to engage with us in business, have opportunity to do business right.
“And if you want to do business with the U.S. government, we are the avenue through which you can connect to it,” he stated.
In his remarks, the Director General of ASACCIMA, Mr Edwin Chukwuma, said the meeting was a match-making event, organised by the Chamber in collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Services.
One of the participants, Chief Chinwe Monu-Olaruwaju, who commended the initiative, described it as a welcome development.
Olaruwaju, who is also the Vice President, ASACCIMA, however, noted that the initiative failed to capture the interest of petty traders, whom she said, constituted the larger percentage of the business community in the country.
She stressed the need to capture petty traders, who were mostly women, adding that this would go a long way in helping to improve their livelihood.