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Nigeria Showcases Opportunities During Country Day at IATF, Highlights Digital Economy

Nigeria Showcases Opportunities During Country Day at IATF, Highlights Digital Economy

Cairo, 14 December 2018: – Nigeria yesterday hosted its Country Day at the inaugural Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) taking place in Cairo, with the Nigerian Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, leading a tour of the Nigeria pavilion and exhibition and delivering a keynote address at the IATF 2018 Conference.

The Country Day feature allows the host country to showcase and promote its trade and investment offerings across all sectors and industries, with a key focus on key sectors, investment and project funding opportunities.

Among those accompanying the vice president were Olusegun Awolowo, CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council; Muhammadu Badaru, Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria; and Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria.

 

In his address, Prof Osinbajo said, “Nigeria places a high premium on the economic integration of the continent and has come to the IATF with a delegation that represents a wide variety of industries and goods, showcasing the rich diversity of the country”.

He highlighted Nigeria’s advanced digital economy as a central point in the Country Day themed “Harnessing the Digital Economy for Inclusive Growth Through Trade” and said that Nigeria’s digital economy was one of the fastest growing in Africa, with the technology sector contributing 9 per cent of the nation’s GDP.

The vice president also lauded the country’s growing entertainment sector, noting that Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, was the third largest film industry in the world, generating an impressive $600 million annually and being a critical employment generator in the country.

The Nigeria Day opening ceremony was concluded with the signing of an agreement between Afreximbank and Nigeria for the Nigeria-Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme valued at $1 billion.

Throughout the day, trade fair visitors and IATF participants visited the Nigerian pavilion and exhibition and were exposed to the country’s trade and investment opportunities as well as the country’s rich and diverse culture. The day’s events were brought to a close with a Nigeria Day celebration that featured performances by IATF 2018 ambassador DBanj and other acts from across the continent.