Forum seeks commonwealth Market, immigration review between Nigeria, UK

The Nigerian London Business Forum (NILOBF) has hailed the visit of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May to Nigeria and two other African countries.

This was contained in a statement released at the weekend and signed by the director, Prof. Chris Onalo.

According to him, the visit should aim at strengthening, on economic front, the bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“In particular, there is an urgent need for a critical review of immigration policies of the two countries.

The review specifically is required on the business front.

The business people of the two countries should find it easy to obtain visas for travel on business ground.

Considering the traditional ties of the two countries, time is now for specific visa policy, which would make it easy for business people in the two countries to visit each other with a view to transacting business and promoting investments.

“Also, efforts should be made while reviewing the Immigration Policy to recognize membership of local trade associations and chambers of commerce.

The investment profile of the two countries as it stands today is not exactly encouraging; it could be bigger than it currently stands,” he said.

On Britain’s dis-engagement from membership of the European Union (EU), NILOBF urge governments of the two countries to seize the August visit of May to consider establishment of a credible Commonwealth Market, which will serve the very purpose that made the United Kingdom to join the EU in the first instance, and also to discourage a situation that made the United Kingdom opt out of the EU.

“It is a serious oversight on the part of the United Kingdom to have ignored the development of a unified trade, investment and business market for the Commonwealth Member Nations; just as it is also a show of weak diplomatic engagement on the part of Nigerian government for not being able to canvass for greater economic integration of the Commonwealth Nations.

After all, all the countries that formed Commonwealth were individually colonized by Britain.

Therefore, it could be taken as very serious oversight on the part of the United Kingdom to have paid less attention to the imperatives of conscripting Commonwealth Nations into a robust trade and investment zone that would be envious of similar platforms in other climes.”

NILOBF is the United Kingdom’s independent premiere organisation for facilitating and promoting trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

It recognises the importance of winning business face to face and this initiative creates the right formula for incentivising British and Nigerian investors to look towards new business horizons.

“As a trade and investment promotion and advocacy organization, Nigerian London Business Forum is convinced that Britain will gain more; Commonwealth Member Nations will gain more when a resilient Commonwealth Market is established.

The visit can be seen to be successful if this initiative is put on a discussion table with Member Nations of the Commonwealth; she can sell this initiative to the British people.”