… offers 5-year Visa Incentive to Businesses, excited by ease of doing business in Edo
The Edo State and the South African Governments have initiated conversations to strengthen bilateral relations, expressing their willingness to work together and identify opportunities to leverage different sectors of their economies.
This was the discussion at a meeting between the South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Bobby J. Moroe, his team and the Managing Director of the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO)-Ease of Doing Business Secretariat, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, and his team at ESIPO in Benin City, Edo State on Tuesday.
Expressing his desire for picking Edo out of the 36 States in Nigeria, the Ambassador noted that the State is highly rated in terms of ease of doing business in Nigeria, adding that as a State which has a progressive investment promotion office like ESIPO, the South African Government could relate in a more coordinated manner leveraging on opportunities with the sub-national.
According to him, “As you know, the purpose of foreign missions in a country among others is to promote trade and investments. We want our people to come and do business here in Nigeria and we also want Nigerians to come and invest in South Africa. We have identified Edo State as a huge potential for our South African businesses in different sectors. So, we want to sit down and identify opportunities and we do match making.”
“The idea is to be as pragmatic as possible to bring companies together in the area of road infrastructure, health, hospitality and tourism, and agro-processing. South Africa is state-of-the-art in terms of agro-processing, and I know Nigeria is big in agriculture but there are challenges in agro-processing.
“One of the things I am trying to do is to increase the movement of Nigerians into South Africa. On the 9th of January next year, we are convening a meeting in Lagos for South African businesses in Nigeria. We are trying to give a 5-year visa incentive to Nigerian investors who want to do business in South Africa. We will extend that invitation to you. So you can meet the South African business base in Nigeria.”
Responding, the Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO)-Ease of Doing Business Secretariat, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, noted that the relationship between South Africa and Nigeria dates back to 1994, adding that there are several things that the two countries can do together leveraging the opportunities offered by Nigeria as the largest economy in the continent and South Africa following suit.
Uwaibi added that the two countries should drive the African Free Continental Free Trade Area. According to him, “Recognizing the fact that the businesses are in the sub-nationals and Edo State is a leading State in some of these businesses. For example, we are quite big on technology and agro-business. Edo State is the first in rubber and first in oil palm. We are very big in cocoa, maize, rice and cassava which is used for the production of Garri. So, for us, this is timely. We really want to work with businesses in South Africa to have that hand shake in terms of expansion to Edo in the case of those companies already existing in Nigeria and those who want to come in from South Africa.”
“For us in ESIPO and as a government, we assure you of our collaboration. It will be good to have a South African business community here in Edo. We have several communities from other countries right now. The State is fast-growing. It is a cosmopolitan State.”
The South African Ambassador who also met the business community in Edo State under the umbrella of the Benin Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BEMCCIMA) used the opportunity to extend his invitation to Edo State to attend the business meeting in Lagos with South African business community in Nigeria, adding that he would be happy if the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) can arrange to also participate in the South Africa Week coming up next year in South Africa where that will serve a s a platform to showcase opportunities in Edo.
The 5-year visa incentive to be rolled out in January meeting in Lagos will offer an opportunity for Nigerians who desire to travel to South Africa to do so seamlessly.
