EU - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Lydia Beshel
Feb, Fri, 2025

EU hails Made-in-Abia leather craftsmanship

110 total views today

Leather

By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom

The European Union (EU) has commended the craftsmanship of Made-in-Abia leather products, reinforcing the state’s reputation as Nigeria’s leading hub for leather production.

The Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Massimo De Luca, made this known during a one-day working visit to Aba.

De Luca said that the state’s leather industry held a lot of potential and talents for possible investments which should earn it an international recognition.

He said that the union had ongoing collaborations with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and German Cooperation to enhance the global leather sector.

De Luca also said that these collaborations positioned the Union as a key partner in the global leather industrial development.

He revealed that these partnerships focus on quality standards, standardisation, and improved manufacturing practices,

He further said that UNIDO would soon launch new projects to strengthen value chains, enhance product quality, and improve environmental manufacturing practices in the leather sector.

“It is an area the union keeps being active through a number of projects which are assigned big supports through UNIDO, the UN agency.

“The agency will soon start working in value chains, quality and improvement in manufacturing and environmental.

“It has always been my dream to visit Abia because I have heard so much about Aba shoes and the leather industry.

“The name Abia deserves all the attention and respect worldwide and this is what we need to fight for, Abia first and Abia products first,”he said.

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, reaffirmed Abia government’s commitment to boost the local leather industry.

Inem said that the government would focus on assisting artisan’s to improve their production quality and traders to expand their leather obusinesses.

“The government is committed to giving traders all necessary support to help them produce better than they are now and to be more meaningfully engaged.

“Our goal is to assess the challenges you face so we can optimise your operations,” he said.

He further assured traders that the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agency, would draft a comprehensive support mechanism to address their needs.

“We have observed the environment and understand your concerns.

“We will take note of the deficiencies and come back with solutions that will enhance your trade, beyond improving the environment, we want to ensure that you produce better-quality goods,” he said.

Chief Inem also highlighted Gov Alex Otti’s commitment to partnering with the EU to uplift the leather sector in Aba.

He said that the visit by the EU delegation had demonstrated the government and the union’s keen interest in the growth of the industry in the state.

Inem said that the state government’s intervention would boost Aba’s leather industry, positioning it for competitiveness in both local and international markets.(NAN)

Edited by Maureen.atuonwu

Tosin Kolade
Jan, Fri, 2025

Foreign

New EU Ambassador outlines plans for Nigeria

231 total views today

By Rukayat Moisemhe

Gautier Mignot, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has outlined the union’s plans to improve trade, strengthen investment and positively impact the youthful population of Nigeria.

Mignot made the plans known on Wednesday in Lagos at a media luncheon.

He said that the EU would want to partner closely with Nigerian authorities at all levels to know their expectations, strategies and needs.

Mignot also said that the EU would want to know the expectations of civil societies and Nigerian youths.

He said that the EU was Nigeria’s largest trading and investment partner in 2023, with 28 per cent of its total trade at 35 billion euros.

He said that Nigeria benefitted 10.7 billion euros trade surplus form the EU.

“When it comes to investment, a key priority of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria also its strongest partner in the EU.

“Our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stock accounts for about one third of Nigerian FDI, totalling 26.4 billion euros as at 2022.

“There are hundreds of EU companies present in Nigeria and they have strict compliance policies on anti-corruption, environment, labour local legislation,” he said.

The ambassador said that he was commitment to bringing the EU-Nigeria partnership to a higher level, with the aim of positively impacting the Nigerian population.

He said that given the current uncertain times and fast-evolving global environment, Nigeria needed constant and faithful partners to count on.

Mignot said that EU took Nigeria as a key partner in Africa and the world; hence, its mission to inform, propose and implement decisions to strengthen the partnership.

“We have a global and strong partnership based on shared values such as democracy, rule of law and multilateralism.

“EU interest is to see Nigeria consolidate its role as an anchor of stability in Africa, and progress on its path towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future.

“We want to help in this endeavour, with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and with humility.

“There is a lack of visibility, and we have to combat disinformation and misperceptions, and the press has a very important role to play in this regard,” he said.

Mignot said that under the partnership, there would be better structure for economic relations and dialogue to address issues hampering investment and trade.

Mignot described EU’s Global Gateway Investment as a new strategy aimed at connecting people and accelerating green, digital and inclusive transition in partner-countries such as Nigeria.

According to him, this means leveraging and accelerating investment and to increasingly work in coordination with EU companies to bring concrete benefits to Nigerians.

He said the EU recognised the importance of accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation and maximising opportunities for value addition and job creation.

Mignot revealed that the EU cooperation budget for 2021-2027 amounted to 731 million euros in grants and it was complemented by other instruments.

“With the Global Gateway Investment Strategy, the EU works in sectors crucial for the transformation and diversification of the Nigerian economy such as energy, digital economy, agriculture and food security.

“The EU also invests in human development – health, education and social protection – as well as in good governance, migration issues and fundamental rights.

“The EU is increasingly developing projects in the north of the country as a whole to respond to the specific development needs of this part of Nigeria.

“The EU is committed to further strengthening engagement in peace and security by responding better to Nigeria’s needs and expectations,” he said.

(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola

Tosin Kolade
Jan, Tue, 2025

Foreign

EU cautiously optimistic on Syria engagement –Official

126 total views today

By Maureen Okon

Irish foreign minister Simon Harris said on Monday that the European Union (EU) ‘is cautiously optimistic on Syria engagement’ but called for more deeper engagement to strengthen relations with the country.

Harris said this at a news conference held at the EU Headquarters in Brussels, the Belgian capital.

“It’s early days, but I think there are signs of optimism. But it is important that we continue to engage.

“I don’t think it would be a good scenario if any other geopolitical actors and forces engage with Syria and for the European Union not to be in a position to intensively engage with them,“ he said.

In her remarks, Ms. Kaja Kallas, the Vice-President of the EU described Syria’s future as fragile but said that the bloc needed to take the right steps.

“But of course, we need to see the right steps as well. Right now, they’re saying all the right words, and they are doing also the right things.

“Therefore, we have this set step-for-step approach, and if they take the steps, then we are willing to take the steps as well,’’ she said.

On the war in Gaza, Harris said President Donald Trump and his team are very much a party to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after the intensive work that was put in.

He conceded that the Trump administration put in a lot of effort to arrive at a ceasefire agreement in the days before his assumption of office for a return to the White House.

“I think that was important and there is no doubt that the intensive work invested by the Trump administration played a very significant role in helping to bring about a ceasefire –a ceasefire that has now seen a cessation of hostilities, the killing, and the bombings.

“Also, that has seen the flow and has seen hostages being released. It’s really important that the ceasefire is in place.

“It is also important, though, to acknowledge in that ceasefire agreement itself, it does talk about people being able to return, and therefore, I think it’s important that we’re consistent in the approach that we take.

“The priority, I think, needs to be on implementing to the letter, the ceasefire agreement,’’ he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim