Create coastal trade to ease recession, OBJ tells FG

Key investor in maritime and former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Government to give establishing a viable coastal trade links with other Africa a second thought, noting that the window can serve as a remedy to the economy recession.

Explaining issues when members of the National Council of Trade, Investment and Industry (NCTII) paid him a courtesy visit at his Abeokuta Hilltop residence in Ogun State, the Elder Statesman said he was confident that “vigorous trade between Nigeria and the rest of the world particularly African nations would improve the nation’s economy.”

The delegation lead by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, has other top government functionaries including Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar, Senator Sam Egwu and the Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa.

The visit is ahead of NCTII scheduled eighth national council meeting for Abeokuta, the state capital. Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is the NCTII chairman.

Buttressing his position on the urgent need for Nigeria to improve its trade relationship with other African countries, Obasanjo lamented that the volume of trade among other nations on the continent was poor, stressing that the time had come for the nation to explore the items she could market to other nations.

He gave examples with neighbouring nations like Germany and France, Europe and America, Britain and France as examples of countries producing similar items yet engage in viable trade among themselves.