Ambassador Danladi’s Proposal For Establishment Of Pakistan-Nigeria Joint Chamber Of Commerce & Industry Fully Supported By Punjab Business Community & Faisalabad Chamber Of Commerce & Industry (FCCI)
Ch. Muhammad Nawaz, the incumbent President (FCCI), Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has supported the proposal of Former Nigerian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ambassador Dauda Danladi, mni for establishment of Nigeria-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry to give a quantum jump to economic relations between the two countries.
He has also appealed to the Governments of Nigeria and Pakistan to assist and fast track the establishment of the Nigeria-Pakistan Joint chambers of Commerce. He further observed that since the agreement was signed in Abuja during President Mamnoon Hussain median visit to Nigeria in 2014, the Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry is yet to take off.
He said the two apex Chambers in the two countries should also endeavor to work towards the realization of the Nigeria-Pakistan Joint Chambers of Commerce. He said this singular move will further enhance trade from US $ 500 Million to US $ 1 Billion in the coming years.
He said that Pakistan and Nigeria enjoys cordial relations at all International Forums including membership of D-8 Forum and Organization of Islamic countries (OIC). Both countries share many similarities in terms of composition, population and colonial history but these relations could not be translated into a robust trade and investment due to negative media propaganda and visa regime of both countries.
He added that it was only during the Diplomatic tenure of former Nigerian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ambassador Dauda Danladi, mni (2012-2015), that bilateral relations focused on Economic Diplomacy between Nigeria and Pakistan.
He said that Ambassador Danladi undertook personal initiatives to capitalize on the trade potentials of the two countries and visited Islamabad , KPK, Gujrat, Gujranwala , Lahore, Faisalabad , Sialkot , Karachi and FPCCI Chambers of Commerce to educate the Business Community , on the vast trade and investment opportunities in Nigeria. He said the media jingles and press interviews granted by the Ambassador has gone a long way to instill confidence among the Business Community in Pakistan.
He pointed out that Ambassador Dauda Danladi, mni later in 2013 took a huge Trade Delegation to Federal Republic of Nigeria consisting of Pakistani Investors and Industrialists who are currently busy investing in several economic sectors in Nigeria. He said two pharmaceutical manufacturing companies has been established in Lagos and has commenced the production of drugs early this year.
Ambassador Danladi’s personal efforts were crowned when the President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain agreed to visit Nigeria in 2014 with 70 Men Trade Delegation that resulted in a number of Agreements for cooperation in Agriculture Sector, Industrial Cooperation, Trade and Industry, Illicit Trafficking of Narcotics and Drugs, Rice Processing and Textiles. He said, the two governments should put in place focus groups to implement the agreements so that the private sector will have the enabling platforms to do business.
He quoted the statistics and said that Nigeria is importing textile products worth US$ 8 billion per annum but the share of Pakistan is very nominal. He added that Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) is planning an aggressive marketing strategies from textiles point of view to penetrate deep into the African Continent through Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the emerging Economic Tiger of Africa. He said, they are willing to invest in Nigeria's Textile Industry.
He also emphasized on the frequent exchange of trade delegations, between Pakistan and Nigeria besides Single Country exhibition at important cities in Nigeria. He said that there are vast prospects of expansion of bilateral trade including Joint Ventures in Textile, Agro-based Industry, Leather goods and Information Technology.