Nigeria Content Online

Former president,
Olusegun Obansanjo, on Tuesday in Abuja, said the NEPAD-Africa Trade
Fair on indigenous products and services was aimed at promoting non-oil
products and services.

Speaking at the
NEPAD Business and Investment Forum, he said the trade fair would
encourage African countries to enrich their export potential for
economic growth and better living standards for the people.

Mr. Obasanjo said
the trade fair was about indigenous products and services, which
offered a major avenue for African governments to create a set of
bridges to partner with entrepreneurs.

Such partnerships,
he added, would promote access to techniques, knowledge, and finance
for economic prosperity of Africa countries.

“I see the business
investment forum as another way of promoting our sense of shared values
as well as a practical demonstration of our commitment to a prosperous
future in Africa,” he said.

In his keynote
address, Nigeria’s vice president, Namadi Sambo, stressed the need for
African countries to provide a conducive business climate to attract
foreign direct investment and promote domestic investment.

Represented by the
minister of commerce and industry, Jubril Martins-Kuye, Mr. Sambo added
that Africa should create appropriate systems, processes and policies,
as well as implementation strategies to facilitate intra-African trade.