Nigeria set to boost trade relations with Spain…Seriki

The newly appointed Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain, Chief Ademola Seriki has promised to boost the country’s trade relations with Spain. Seriki was until his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Corporate Affairs Commission. He also said that a team would be set up to monitor the implementation of trade treaties between both countries, adding that one of the challenges that Nigeria has in international bilateral relations is the area of implementation. Oil accounts for 76.2 per cent of Nigeria’s Spanish imports and Natural Gas another 22 per cent.

However, in some sectors, the Spanish market share is high, such as ceramic products (21.2 per cent), beverages (12.5 per cent), mechanical devices (6.9 per cent) or colouring materials and paint (5.5 per cent). Seriki said, “We have to seat down, work with the Spanish government, Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Trade in particular. “The problem in Nigeria is that we don’t have people who will be in charge of implementation and we will have desk officers that would be assigned specific responsibilities to ensure the realisation of trade agreements without procrastination.” Seriki said since January last year that he was appointed Board Chairman of CAC, the commission has been able to implement reforms that had made it easier for people to register their companies from the comfort of their home.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo described the outgoing Chairman as the man who has what it takes to achieve the task given by the President. He described the relationship between Seriki and the management of CAC as one that is worthy of emulation. In his remarks, The Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Garba Abubakar, said that companies’ registration procedures would be completed within three hours before the end of 2021. Abubakar said companies registration can now be done from the comfort of home without physically visiting CAC offices. His words: “You can now start and finish your companies registration and get your certificates without waiting for a courier company to deliver it.