…To build 5000 homes, others
From: AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
The United Kingdom (UK) has concluded plans to engage Nigeria in the area of fish farming.
The UK is also engaging the country through the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to build 5,000 homes in the country.
UK trade delegation to Nigeria, led by Mr. Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi, made the disclosure while on a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.
The Director, African House London LTD, said since the past four years, Britain had been looking at how to re-engage in Africa, saying that Nigeria is one of the main focus of the re-engagement.
Finndoro-Obasi said as part of the efforts, he had been appointed as the Chairman of the Conservative Commonwealth Association as part of the collective drive, and also, appointed as the Adviser on Africa on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Finndoro-Obasi said the development was one of the efforts the UK was making to re-engage in Africa and Nigeria in particular.
“One aspect of this particular trade mission which African House has put together, is the one that we want to be successful.
“We are looking at bringing in one of the most sophisticated fish farming into the country that would be capable of producing tonnes of fish. And discussion is currently going on with local partners and they will specialise on Tilapia.
“We know the country has a large quantity of catfish. So, Tilapia is something we are bringing in. That is one thing we believe will help the country.
“In infrastructure, we are engaging with NAMA to build 5000 homes. We are currently engaging also with Niger state, looking at building and renovating their hospital equipment to reduce the amount of medical migration,” Finndoro-Obasi.
Finndoro-Obasi added that they were also in the process of bringing into the country, a company that would build roads with recycled plastics.
He said they were already in discussion with some states in the country to replicate the technology in the country.
Finndoro-Obasi said he was of the opinion that once the roads are built in some states, they would be extended to other states.
The roads, Finndoro-Obasi further said, cannot be affected by rain or sun, saying that when it rained or there is sunshine, the roads do not get cracked.
In his remarks, Onyeama said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was already playing its role of promoting business for the country, especially the foreign direct investment and indeed, export promotion.
Onyeama added that the Federal Government was trying to use the Foreign Ministry as a hub to promote business partnerships.
“The idea is that with the 114 countries which we have embassies in, we are going to use each embassy as an extension of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“So, there would be a focal point in each embassy whose job would be to create partnerships between Nigerian businesses and foreign businesses.
“In the case of the UK for instance, any Nigerian entrepreneur that wants to partner with UK business will upload onto a database that we are preparing online,” Onyeama said.