THE chairman of the Abuja Chapter of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Chris Shaiyen Tuesday night in Abuja revealed plans by the executive to rejuvenate the Abuja chapter of the Chamber to ensure it ranks among leading chapters like Lagos and Kaduna.
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The need for rejuvenation, he said, was as a result of the loss of some members to relocation to other states in the course of searching for business and career prospect, which has made it necessary for the present executive to bring back the chapter to its previous fledging status through intensive membership mobilization drive.
While addressing members at the maiden meeting of the chapter for the year 2018 held at the Bayelsa Guest House, the chairman said in the past two years, the chapter has embarked on revalidating its database to bring back some old members while a massive new membership mobilization is also intensified. “For the past two years now, we have gone back to revalidate our database to bring Abuja chapter back to where it supposed to be”, he said.
Highlighting significance of the chamber reputed to be the oldest bilateral chamber of commerce in Nigeria, the chairman said the chamber has important role to play in realizing the policy thrust of the Federal Government to diversify the economy by providing a veritable platform for businesses and organizations to leverage on to export agro-based products to the United States, Europe and Asia.
Shaiyen said the chamber has provided opportunities for American companies as well to invest in the Nigerian market and businesses, which in turn has yielded huge revenue to government coffers and boost the nation’s foreign exchange earnings. He said,” we intend to use that to boost the economy. Not only for the country but for business industries both in the public and private sectors,”
Reeling out activities lined for the year 2018, the chairman disclosed that the Abuja chapter “ intend to go on a trade mission to some states in the United States of America such as Houston Texas, Boston, Washington DC and Los Angeles. We also intend to do a seminar on the role of agriculture in the economy. We intend to have some courtesy calls on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Minister of Trade, Commerce and Industry and obviously the United States Embassy. We will also try if we can see the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo. This is the line of events we have for the year 2018 and this is in line with what Lagos chapter is doing”.
The Executive Secretary, Mr Ayo Salam said the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce with about 2032 members worldwide provides; the level of coverage and international connection for business and organization for global scale coverage, provides legal and authoritative immunity for members and their businesses because it is a trusted and acceptable business and economic platform across the globe.
Admonishing members, Salam said, “ you can leverage on the benevolence of the Chamber platform to connect and grow your businesses in a convenient pedestal both endorsed by the American and Nigerian governments.”
Speaking further on the values inherent in the membership of the Chamber, the Executive Secretary said, “members have access to inward American trade mission delegates into Nigeria; have business interest represented through advocacy and benefit from remarkably subsidized rates for events and interaction into a local and international network of business leaders, investors and partners”.
Salam added that members have access to a wide business network through the six chapters that spread across all geopolitical zones of Nigeria, adding that they can as well benefit from leveraging the Chamber’s publicity tools for brand visibility and growth.
Members from different business and economic divide attended the meeting.
