Finland decries low economic relations with Nigeria

The Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Ms. Anneli Vourinen, has said that the reforms being spearheaded by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan will help to deepen trade between both countries.

Vourinen, who disclosed this in Abuja during a chat with journalists, said that, with the huge potential of the local economy, companies from Finland would soon begin to invest in various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

As a demonstration of this, she said that a two-day business networking platform organised by the Nigeria-Finland Friendship Association would be held to bring together investors from both countries.

She explained that the meeting, which would commence on Tuesday (Today), became imperative because trade relations between both countries were far below what they should be.

For instance, she said that, while Finnish exports to Nigeria in 2010 stood at €48m, Nigeria’s exports to that country were less than €100,000.

Vourinen attributed the low trade relations to the lack of information between investors from both countries, adding that a high-level trade delegation from Nigeria would soon be visiting Finland to look at various sectors to invest.

The delegation, to be led by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, will see investors from Nigeria entering into partnerships in crucial sectors with their counterparts from Finland.

The sectors are energy, aviation, education, health and environmental technology.

“We think that the time is more than ripe for us to increase trade between both countries, which had remained until recently, at a very low level and we have identified the fact that Nigeria is the most important emerging market in Africa,” she said.