ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) hosted a farewell reception in honor of Bello Abioye, the High Commissioner of Nigeria to Pakistan.
The farewell reception was held at the Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President of ICCI, residence in the federal capital and attended by the Ambassador of Morocco, Mohamed Karmoune; Ambassador of Ethiopia, Jemal Beker Abdula; Ambassador of Algeria, Brahim Romani; Ambassador of Somalia Mrs. Khadija Mohamed Almakhzoumi, and Ambassador of Mauritius Rashidally Soobadar.
Apart from them, Director General of Foreign Affairs Shahid Ali Bhutto, Asif Luqman Qazi of Jamaat-e-Islami, Khalid Iqbal Malik, Group Leader ICCI, and other city notables also attended the event.
Addressing the reception, Bello Abioye highlighted the potential for Pakistan to focus on Africa, which is often referred to as the “Continent of the Future” by trade experts. He urged Pakistan to establish closer cooperation with Nigeria, highlighting the opportunity for increasing bilateral trade through direct flights between the two countries.
Abioye also noted that Nigeria and Pakistan could collaborate in various sectors, including transportation, tourism, trade & commerce, and industry.
The High Commissioner mentioned the steps he had taken during his tenure in Pakistan to enhance business relations, including facilitating information exchange, promoting business-to-business meetings, and simplifying the visa policy for entrepreneurs. He highlighted the expedited visa processing time of 48 hours over the past two years, which streamlined business-related travel.
Abioye expressed his gratitude to Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI, and Zafar Bakhtawari, Secretary General UBG Pakistan, for hosting the farewell reception. He also stated his commitment to acting as an ambassador for Pakistan in the future, given his positive experiences during his time in the country.
Volume of Pakistan-Nigeria Bilateral Trade
Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President of ICCI, emphasized the need to enhance Pakistan-Nigeria bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately US$114 million, far below the potential of both nations.
He stressed the importance of increasing bilateral trade to at least US$3 billion in the coming years, highlighting the products Pakistan can export to Nigeria and other African countries, including textiles, rice, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, electrical appliances, processed food, cosmetic & beauty products, leather goods, IT products, and financial services.
Khalid Iqbal Malik, Group Leader ICCI, echoed the call for close cooperation between Pakistan and Nigeria, given their combined market of about half a billion people. He advocated for regular business delegation exchanges to explore untapped areas of mutual cooperation.
Zafar Bakhtawari, former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG Pakistan lauded the services of Bello Abioye, noting that direct flights between Pakistan and Nigeria could significantly boost bilateral trade. He urged both countries to make concerted efforts to achieve this goal.
