The Taiwan government through its trading council is currently expanding its businesses in Nigeria, the Taiwan Trade Representative in Nigeria, Andy Liu, has said.
Liu, who said this on the sidelines of the Halal Expo Nigeria 2021 event in Abuja, stated that Taiwan would go into states such as Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, among others.
Speaking on the essence of the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the Taiwan trade council and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he stated that the partnership was to further deepen Taiwan’s investments in Nigeria.
Liu said, “The MoU was signed by our biggest trading promotion council called TAITRA. We want to have a good relation with the ACCI. The Abuja chamber expressed its willingness to deepen cooperation with Taiwanese trading council.
“So both sides reached a consensus of signing an MoU for future cooperation. This is not just for the Halal Industry but for all aspects of trading.
“Coming into Abuja means that our Taiwanese trading council is seriously thinking of moving its business or expanding from Lagos to the very centre of Nigeria and in the future to Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and the whole country.”
Liu stated that business relations between Nigeria and Taiwan which spanned more than four decades had been cordial.
He said, “The business relations between Taiwan and Nigeria has been on for more than 40 years. It has been great because the sale of Taiwanese products in Nigeria has been on since late 1980s.
“These products are not just motorcycles, bicycles or fabric, they include all kinds of information technology related products. I may not be able to give the investment figures now, but the most important thing is to see how well we can go on with the relations.
“And that is why I’m here in Abuja to represent Taiwan and set up a stand at the Halal Expo.”
On products exported to Taiwan from Nigeria, Liu stated that they included raw commodities from Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He said, “Raw materials from Nigeria such as sesame and others are being exported to Asia including Taiwan and this is processed into a high value sesame oil product.
“This is because Asian people love sesame oil and need plenty of them. Chestnuts and many kinds of groundnut products are also exported from Nigeria.”
He pledged the continued partnership of the Taiwanese government with Nigeria, adding that citizens from the Asian country would continue to invest in the Nigerian economy.
– Punch