IN its 40 years of existence, the Nigerian Belgian Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has remained vibrant in the socio-economic landscape of the two countries. The chamber’s second Business Meeting of the year in Lagos on June 26, 2025, with the theme:“Gaining Insights for Successful Business Development in Nigeria” showcased this vibrancy in good measure with quality attendance and robust conversation.

The General Manager of the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Marc Eeckhoutwas glad to host the six speakers that presented papers at the meeting.They were Olivier De Blauwe – Country Manager of Soudal; Akahibe Cynthia – Project Manager X-Gems; Pieter-Jan Fonteyne – Area Sales Manager (Africa) Beaulieu International Group, Dany Callebaut – Managing Director Aquatelos Nigeria Limited, Francois Gillet – CEO/MD of Promasidor, and Dennis Simonin, Managing Director – Etex Group.

Pieter -Jan Fonteyne, Area Sales Manager Africa Beaulieu International Group,came to Nigeria from Belgium purposely to attend the business meeting and explored the business opportunities in the country. His company, Beauflor, produces vinyl sheets for export.

He disclosed that “Beauflor has four factories in Europe and America and exports it’s flooring solutions globally to 100 countries.

His words: “We make vinyl flooring in wood, uni, tile and custom-made digital designs for architects, hotels, building contractors and distributors. You roll it and glue it to the floor. We have a super qualitative, easy to clean, and, easy to maintain flooring for residential and commercial use.”

Fonteyne noted: “I am here in Nigeria to find distributors, architects and building developers to start a sustainable long time business relationship.”

Dany Callebaut, Managing Director of Aquatelos Nigeria Limited, shared his vision to raise standards in Nigeria’s construction and hospitality industries.

“I came to Nigeria after meeting a visionary Yoruba businessman — a serial entrepreneur determined to disrupt local markets through practical, game-changing innovation. That perspective matches my own experience: with over ten years exporting polypropylene panels worldwide, I saw how companies transform these materials into durable, high-performance products.”

He went on, “Instead of just selling panels, I wanted to move beyond trade and build local fabrication capabilities that no one else offers here — which is why we established our own workshop in Apapa, Lagos.”

What does he sees as a major challenge in his sphere of business, Danny noted that many buyers focus only on upfront cost instead of long-term value.

“Cheap materials often fail prematurely, leading to costly repairs and replacements. Our polypropylene panels are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and chemically stable. Combined with their weldability—which creates strong, seamless joints—these qualities extend product life and significantly lower the total cost of ownership,” he added.

Dany explained that AquaTelos currently provides plunge pools, toilet and shower cubicles, septic tanks, and grease traps — examples of customized polypropylene solutions designed for Nigeria’s conditions. with more applications to come.

He went on,”recently, the company added Beauflor® vinyl flooring to its portfolio, a move Dany embraced because the brand perfectly complements AquaTelos’ focus on durable, quality solutions.

He argued that “Beauflor® is a trusted European brand known for durability and easy maintenance while urging. buyers to adopt a long-term vision.

Why applauding the federal government, for its far reaching economic policies, he urged the government to invest in its future by addressing ongoing challenges like logistics infrastructure, energy costs, and security, adding that, “in Belgium for example, strong government subsidies and close collaboration with world-renowned universities fuel thriving R&D, enabling companies to innovate and compete globally.”

Dany expressed his willingness to enter into partnership with businesses and institutions aligned with AquaTelos’ commitment to practical, durable solutions and long-term value.

Olivier De Blauwe the Country Manager of Soudal, said: “I came to Africa ten years ago, I was in South Africa for seven years and only came to Nigeria three years ago. We have business relationship with construction companies, such as ITB Nigeria, Cappa and D’Alberto,Julius Berger, Craneburg, among others.”

Olivier disclosed that the company was focusing on Lagos and Ibadan, for now, adding that” later we will move to Abuja and other cities in Nigeria in the nearest future.

As he put it, “We distribute our products to construction companies and to the open market, we have no competitor, quality wise, because we manufacture excellent and quality products.

“Our main competitor are the Chinese, but we do not really see them as competitor because they offer low quality, they do not stick to the rules, change the quality of their products arbitrarily.”

“We as a European company, we have a long-term vision, we do not want to cheat the customer. When they come to Soudal, they always come back.It takes time to build a brand, but we are on the right track.” he added.
To most multinational companies,” Nigeria is a fast-growing country economically”

We are in Nigeria, he says,” as a construction company, we believe that there is a large housing deficit; with a growing population. Nigeria is going to be bigger than America. The main reason we came to Nigeria, we have invested heavily in Nigeria and in Africa, the future. We are aware of the challenges in Nigeria, as a multinational we are fully compliant with Nigeria’s situation.”

Comparing Nigerians with South Africans, Olivier described Nigerians as more flexible,agile, and business minded.

“I like to work with Nigerians. When I came to Nigeria, I met good people, as a multinational company we look after our workers. We pay them better than our competitors in Nigeria: better salary, medical allowance, and pension; because we want to attract qualified people.

“Presently we have seven staffs, I prefer qualified staff over quantity of staff, it engenders efficiency. The Nigerian government has rolled out many economic measures, if the government continues with the present structural policies, it will benefit Nigerians.

“Right now, the Nigerian currency is becoming stable. With the right business climate, it will draw the much-needed foreign investors, there are many business opportunities in Nigeria because it is a potential market for the multinationals. Nigeria is a fast-growing country, faster than its infrastructural facilities, faster than its housing supply, faster than its land availability in major cities; the Housing industry, which is where our company’s interest lies.

“Our products include Sealants, Adhesives, PU Foams and Technical Aerosols among others; alternative solutions to construction and automotive industries. We are the largest independent European manufacturer of Sealants and Adhesives,” he added.

In his closing remarks, the General Manager of NBCC, Marc Eeckhout, thanked the speakers for the enlightened presentations and disclosed that the next business meeting will be held in September 2025.