Trade Mission to Canada Holds Interactive Session
By Nnamdi Duru
The Nigerian Trade Mission to Canada (TRIM 2004), will hold a seminar and interactive session in Lagos today to showcase the benefits and business opportunities open to prospective participants who would in turn be expected to get acquainted with the organisers of the trade mission.
In a press release made available to THISDAY, The Coordinator of TRIM 2004, Mrs. Osaze Omo-Ojugo disclosed that the trade mission would between November 1 and 5, 2004 take participants to Ottawa and Toronto both in Canada.
She listed the areas of interest of the mission saying, "the mission will focus on information and communications technology, pharmaceuticals and solid minerals mining would visit Ottawa and Toronto.
Throwing more light on the seminar, Omo-Ojugo said that it was designed to afford prospective participants to the mission the opportunity of interacting with the organisers of the programme on the various benefits and business opportunities open to them and the modalities for registration.
She stated the objectives of the mission which include the development of technical capability of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the country, expansion of Nigerian-Canadian trade links as well as enhancing technology transfer and increasing technical cooperation between in the two countries.
The programme also aims at educating Canadian business people on trade practices in Nigeria. They would be taught how to handle the problems associated advanced fee fraud as well as provided investment information on Nigeria and government reform policies. Participants in the programme would also be encouraged to stimulate collaboration and foster innovation adoption, she said.
"The mission is designed to be a networking forum for Nigerian business operators and internationally oriented Canadian business and investment managers familiar with business opportunities in Africa.
"Delegates would benefit from conferences and workshops that introduce the Canadian Investment Fund for Africa and the strategic opportunity of one-on-one meetings and company visits to their individual sectors of interest". Omo-Ojugo stated.
The Coodinator also charged Canadian business people to develop and strengthen economic ties with Africa, thus prompting the development of a number of funding strategies to assist enterprise ventures of Canadian companies in the continent.
Resource persons at the seminar would include the former Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Howard Strauss, Professor Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School and the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Engineer Mustapha Bello. Others are the President of Trans-World Group, Dr. Ona Ekhomu and the former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Mining Corporation, Dr. Abiodun Olorunfemi.
The interactive forum according to Omo-Ojugo would run for three sessions tomorrow between 9 am and 6 pm even as she encouraged members of the public to attend the seminar.
TRIM 2004 is a collaborative effort between Value Mail for Decision magazine and the Canadian Council on Africa. The mission is being supported by NIPC, Trade and Investment Division of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Nigerian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Trans-World Security Group.
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