FG Vows Protection For Nigerian Investments In Angola
The Federal Government has pledged stronger diplomatic protection for Nigerian-owned businesses in Angola, with Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu assuring auto spare-parts dealers that their investments will be prioritised in future bilateral engagements.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu gave the assurance during a visit to Cidade De Motores (City of Engines) in Luanda, where the Nigerian Auto Parts Dealers Association has established a major trading hub.
The minister praised the traders for turning the disruption caused by Angola’s crackdown on roadside trading into an organised investment, describing the project as evidence of the entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians abroad.
She said the government would raise the protection of Nigerian businesses during the next Nigeria-Angola Joint Commission, warning that investors must not be left vulnerable after committing substantial resources to projects overseas.
“We do not want a situation where people will invest and later some phony stories would be told about their investment,” she said.
The minister also urged the traders to remain law-abiding and use the market to promote Nigeria’s image, stressing that ethnic divisions must not undermine its management.
“There should be no room for tribalism,” she said.
President of the United Auto Parts Dealers Association, Chuks Ukachi, said the market was established after Nigerian traders were stopped from operating along Angolan roadsides, leaving many without businesses for about two years.
He appealed for Federal Government support to secure and protect the facility, which he described as a major investment by Nigerian entrepreneurs in Angola.
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