News in brief:
– The Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria engaged Abia State’s business community to strengthen trade and industrial collaboration.
– Key focus areas include agriculture, manufacturing, textiles, and reviving the moribund Aba Textile Mill.
The Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bui Quoc Hung, has expressed his country’s readiness to collaborate with Abia State in agriculture, textiles, and manufacturing. The envoy made this known during a business engagement with members of the Umuahia and Aba Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture on Wednesday.
Hung emphasised the similarities between Nigeria and Vietnam, noting that both economies have significant opportunities for mutual growth. He stated that the visit aimed to identify key areas for cooperation to foster economic development.
“We have discussed some strong development areas like agriculture, manufacturing, textiles and garments, seafood, and electronics,” Hung said. “We focused much on agriculture, textiles, and food production in Nigeria. We think that we can work together to increase productivity, quality, quantity, and the value chains.”
Abia’s business community eyes investment prospects
The Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mr Kingsley Nwokocha, expressed optimism about the collaboration, highlighting its potential to boost trade and economic activities in Abia.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Industry and SMEs, Mr Mike Akpara, called on Vietnam to help revive the moribund Aba Textile Mill, emphasising that the market in Aba serves not just Nigeria but the entire West African sub-region.
Leaders of the Umuahia and Aba Chambers of Commerce welcomed the discussions, stressing the need to position Abia as an investment destination. They identified key areas for collaboration, including agriculture, manufacturing, textiles, and cashew nut processing.
The ambassador also extended an invitation to Abia’s business community to visit Vietnam and participate in business expos and exhibitions to strengthen trade relations.
Vietnamese delegation tours industrial sites
As part of the visit, the Vietnamese delegation toured key industrial sites in Abia, including the Golden Guinea Brewery and Saclux Paint Industry in Umuahia. They also visited a cashew plantation in Umunneochi, the Moribund Aba Textile Mill, and the Ekeoha Textile Market Clusters in Aba.
The partnership discussions mark a significant step toward strengthening economic ties between Abia State and Vietnam, with both parties hopeful that the collaboration will drive industrial growth and create job opportunities in the state.
