UAE President Canvasses Stronger Diplomatic Ties with Nigeria

*As Dubai International Chamber Opens Office in Lagos

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Dike  Onwuamaeze in Lagos

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed its commitment towards strengthening diplomatic ties with Nigeria beyond the current state.
UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation and Special Envoy to Nigeria, Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, who disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday at the State House, Abuja, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, also said she conveyed the UAE President’s letter on the issue to the Nigerian President.
She expressed optimism that both countries would be able to strengthen the bridge between them so that their governments could generate more prosperity to their citizens.

In another related development, it was a historic moment in the bilateral trade relations between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) when the President and CEO of Dubai International Chamber, Mr. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, announced yesterday in Lagos that the chamber would inaugurate its new international representative office here in Lagos, yesterday.

Lootah made the announcement before the cream of Nigeria’s organised private sector in Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, when he read his welcome address for the “New Horizons Trade Mission in Nigeria,” at the “Doing Business With Nigeria Forum” that was facilitated by the Consulate General of the UAE.
UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation described the nature of the message she delivered to President Tinubu as both positive and futuristic plans for cooperative partnership between both countries.

Her words: “We are very happy to be here in Nigeria. After several years for me personally, since I’ve come to Abuja, it’s nice to see such a vibrant, beautiful country and to have incredibly successful meetings.
“We are, as you also are aware, expecting to receive the whole world at COP28 in the UAE in about a week’s time and are very committed to ensuring that Nigeria continues to be a strategic partner for the UAE and we continue to work on important issues for the Nigerian people.
“We’re very keen on looking at how we can strengthen our ties more than they already are and we’ve come with a really positive letter to this new Nigerian government.

“The President of Nigeria and the President of the United Arab Emirates met for the first time in September and we are optimistic about all of the great projects we’re going to be working with you on.
“We are pleased to have an audience with the President and this delegation has been formed under the guidance and instruction of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the President of the UAE we’re here to deliver a very promising, positive and futuristic plan for cooperative partnership between our two countries.

“I hope that we would be able to strengthen the bridge between our two countries and bring more prosperity to our two nations.
“Both UAE and Nigeria are blessed with a lot of resources. The most important is the human resources we both have and we’ve tried to build on what we already have between our two nations”.

According to the President and CEO of Dubai International Chamber, Mr. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, “We are honoured to be here in Lagos to explore exciting and mutually beneficial opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Dubai and Nigeria.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in helping to organise this timely trade mission, which we are confident will unlock fresh opportunities for the business communities in both Dubai and Nigeria.

“As part of our efforts to further strengthen Dubai’s trade and economic ties with Nigeria, I am also excited to announce that we are inaugurating our new international representative office here in Lagos today.
“Establishing a presence in Nigeria represents another significant milestone for Dubai International Chamber. This strategic move creates a vital platform for enhancing cross-border partnerships in one of Africa’s leading economies.”
He added that the launch of the Lagos office, which is the chamber’s 7th in Africa and 28th worldwide, would open new channels for communication and economic cooperation.

“Our team will work with local partners to strengthen Dubai’s robust commercial relationship with Nigeria, co-organise business matching and networking events, and ensure that companies and investors in both markets have access to all the support they need to navigate business opportunities and boost trade and investments,” Lootah said.

Responding to the announcement, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said that the aspiration of the Dubai Chamber to open its office in Lagos “deeply resonates with our popular proposition that ‘Lagos is Open for Business.’
His words: “Therefore, let me commend the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Lagos for facilitating this huge platform for deepening economic interaction, business exchanges and bilateral engagements.  

“Nigeria and the UAE have enjoyed mutually beneficial relationships built on support and strong bilateral trade for more than 40 years. The bilateral trade is driven by Nigerian exports to UAE, which include gold, crude oil and petroleum gas while we import equipment, cars and jewelry from the UAE.”

Sanwo-Olu added that investing in Lagos State is investing in a gateway not only to Nigeria but the entire African continent.

 “And to be precise, a partnership with the UAE, a global hub for trade and investment, presents an opportunity for kicking-off of a mutual relationship that will be incredibly beneficial to both entities.  

“Moreover, we are keen on exploring opportunities in sustainable urban development, learning from UAE’s remarkable transformation.  

“We believe that a partnership with the UAE can be a strong catalyst for growth, innovation, and prosperity, benefiting both our states and setting a benchmark for future international collaboration,” the governor said.

The President of the LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, said in his welcome address that Nigeria and the UAE have a lot of space to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Olawale-Cole said that Nigeria has the potential of serving as the UAE’s entry point to leverage on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He, however, called for the lifting of the visa ban Dubai placed on Nigeria in order not to defeat the purpose of establishing Dubai Chamber’s office in Nigeria whose purpose is to facilitate business.

According to him, “the effect of the visa ban on business is significant and multifaceted, impacting various aspects international trade, investment and collaboration.

“A visa ban can create barriers that hinder the smooth flow of business activities and hinder economic relations. Dubai is a popular destination for thousands of Nigerian business people.

“Efforts should be made to implement measures that facilitate smoother cross-border travel for business purposes between Dubai and Nigeria.

“This will greatly improve business transactions, trade and investments for the betterment of both economies.”

Speaking during the event, the National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Dele Kelvin Oye, called for the constitution of dispute resolution mechanism between Nigerian businesspeople and their Dubai counterpart.

Oye said: “Those of us in the business sector in Nigeria have serious challenges. We have many agents coming for companies of different interests. But what has happened when there are issues there is no channel for resolving them. Nobody will invest if there is no formal mechanism for resolution.”