Agriculture: More Foreign Companies Indicate Interest in Nigeria

Foreign companies dealing in processed and agricultural processing products, on Monday expressed their readiness to invest and take advantage of Nigeria’s large market for their products.

Companies from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and China, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos on the sidelines of this year’s Food Nigeria Exhibition and Conference, of their growing interest in
Nigeria.

Subramaniam Eassuwaran, Vice Chairman of ESWARAN Brothers Export, from Sri Lanka, said that his company, that was visiting Nigeria for the first time, was in the country to explore business opportunities.

Eassuwaran said that his organisation was prepared to engage Nigerian partners in the distribution of good quality teas to the Nigerian population.

“We have been hearing of the huge business opportunities in Nigeria. My organisation, which is one of the largest tea bag companies in Asia, has therefore, decided to come to exploit the Nigerian market for its teas,” he said.

Eassuwaran, who expressed the satisfaction of some Nigerians with their exhibited teas, said that he was convinced that Nigeria would provide the right market for his company’s tea bags.

Samer El-Kari, Commercial Manager of Al-Faris Food Industries, from Saudi Arabia, said that his company was eager to bring its products to the Nigerian market.

“Especially now that we are expanding our export market, we are beginning to see Nigeria as one of the largest markets for our products. We are now really interested in doing business in Nigeria, because
Nigeria really has the population for our agricultural products,” he said.

Richie Deng, Commercial Manager of Chongqing Lihong Fine Chemicals, from China, expressed confidence in the Nigerian markets for his company’s products.

“We have been doing well in other parts of the world. And now, we havedecided to also come to look for business opportunities in Nigeria,” he said.

Evren Sengul, Manager of Semolina Azteca Milling, from Turkey, said that although his company had been doing business with some Nigerian partners, it was not set to expand its investment plan to Nigeria.

Sengul, however, pleaded with the Nigerian government to review its current currency regulation laws, as it was seriously affecting his Nigerian customers’ importation of his company’s products.

“Our Nigerian customers are really complaining of having difficulties in transferring money from Nigeria to Turkey. These customers are also complaining of their difficulties in getting
dollars to import products,” he added.