The Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry van Djik, has advised the Nigerian government to urgently address the level of insecurity and unstable foreign exchange rate.
Djik made this call in Abuja on Tuesday at a meeting with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo.
He noted that these two major challenges were affecting the businesses of foreign investors.
A statement issued by the Spokesperson to Adebayo, Ifedayo Sayo, read in part, said the envoy came to discuss bilateral trade relations between the two countries with the minister
“Djik who visited the minister to seek his consent on the revival of bilateral trade consultation between the two countries had wanted the government to address the issue of insecurity and foreign exchange for investors in the country,” the statement read.
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The ambassador also spoke on the need to revive the bilateral consultation between Nigeria and Netherlands, noting that the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement of further meetings.
On his part, Adebayo assured investors from the Netherlands that the Federal Government was addressing the issue of insecurity across the country.
The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari, recently changed his service chiefs and took other security measures to assure Nigerians and the business community of his desire to ensure that the country was safe for all and sundry.
He explained that his ministry had set up a working group on the bilateral consultation between both countries and expressed hopes that before the end of the year, the meeting would be revived.
Adebayo told his guests that he had got commitment from the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the issue of forex, as a meeting on the matter would be held soon.
Adebayo further said that the Federal Government recently signed an agreement for the provision of 25 megawatts of power to each of the free trade zones in Kano and Calabar, urging the investors to also take advantage of this.
