Indian-owned
companies in Nigeria are the second highest employers of labour in the country
after the federal government, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
has revealed.
The ACCI Director-General, Ms. Victoria Akai, made the
disclosure at the India-Nigeria Business Forum, organised in Abuja by the
Indian High Commission.
In her presentation at the forum, which drew scores of top
players from private and public sectors of India and Nigeria, Akai said.
Indian-owned/operated companies are estimated to be the
second largest employers of labour in
Nigeria after the federal government.
She stated that the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Nigeria through the Nigerian Association
of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) signed a friendly cooperation agreement which
had been endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
(FMITI).
In the agreement, she stated that the Abuja Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has continued to play a significant role in the
development of business relations between Nigeria and India.
According to her, as one of the largest trading partners
with Nigeria, India has demonstrated that there are many lessons to be learnt
from them, adding that for a third world country to lift millions out of
poverty within a record time and move further to be an attractive power to
reckon with, Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from working closely with
India.
India, the ACCI Director General observed, has given
critical support to Nigeria in areas like defence, agriculture, power,
automobile, pharmaceuticals, and air travel, among others.
"Consequently, I
am aware that, over 135 Indian companies are currently operating in Nigeria
that are owned and or operated by Indians or Persons-of-Indian origin
(PIOs). Prominent among them being
Bharti Airtel, Tata, Bajaj Auto, Birla Group, Kirloskar, Mahindra, Ashok
Leyland, NIIT, Aptech, New India Assurance, Bhushan Steel, KEC, Skipper
Nigeria, Dabur, Godrej, Ranbaxy and Primus Super-specialty Hospital, besides 15
prominent companies in the Nigerian power sector.
"Nigeria-based ethnic Indians are economically active
in areas relating to manufacturing and retailing of consumer goods,
constructions and air-services. Indian owned/operated companies are estimated
to be the second largest employer in Nigeria after the Federal Government of
Nigeria," she explained.
Akai assured Nigeria that the ACCI would continue to work
assiduously to support and facilitate India-Nigeria business relations.
Also in his presentation, Mr. Debmalya Banerjee, who led a
delegation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce
to the forum, said a lot of shared values exist between India and
Nigeria.
India, he observed, is the biggest democracy in the world
while Nigeria is the biggest democracy
in Africa, adding that both nations are important players at the United Nations
(UN) and G77.
He stated that Indian companies in Nigeria are the second-highest employers of labour after the federal
government with over 250,000 workers, stressing that
bilateral trade between both countries
in 2018/2019 stood at about $14 billion with the balance of trade in favour of
Nigeria.
Banerjee disclosed that Indian companies were moving to be
more active players in Nigeria’s oil and gas as well as power sectors.
No comments:
Post a Comment