The Nigeria-Slovenia Chamber of Commerce, on Tuesday, assured Nigerian business owners of latent opportunities in the Eastern Europe country for them to leverage and break even.
The Director-General (DG) /Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the chamber, Mr Uche Udungwor, gave the assurance, at a business networking programme, organised by the chamber at its headquarters in FESTAC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, the event attended by Nigerian business owners, deliberated on bilateral business relationships between the two countries, for the participants to key in.
Speaking at the event, Udungwor, espoused the relevance of the chamber to the business owners, saying the chamber acts as a guarantor to the business investors who wish to explore opportunities in Slovenia.
According to him the chamber promotes transnational business, cultural and other engagements of interest to both countries to safeguard business interests of both nationals to foster seamless transactions.
“Slovenia is a knowledge driven economy that Nigerians can benefit from by investing in its technology, industrial, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, education and others to boost their earnings and improve the nation’s economy.
“Nigerian produce such as groundnut, ginger, yam, palm oil is in high demand in Slovenia and other European countries. What is expected of the Nigerian business owners is to liaise with the chamber for a seamless business transctions to increase individual earnings and gain foreign exchange to stabilise the Naira and the economy.
“It is our obligation to stand as a guarantor to Nigeria produce export to Slovenia and even to other European countries to prevent loss of investment capital that can be incurred in the case of export rejection.
“The chamber is here to guide on required produce standards before export and to facilitate buyers of produce exported,” he said.
The DG noted the high-quality education system in Slovenia and its availability to Nigerians and said that no fewer than 20 Nigerian students through the chamber’s facilitation were studying in different universities in the Republic of Slovenia.
He charged the business owners to expand their horizons and invest in the near no-risk environment of Slovenia which enjoys the protection of the European Union (EU) as its member.
Also speaking at the event, Director National Agency for Food Drug Administration Commission (NAFDAC) Mr Aina Olugbenga Stephen, said that goods from Slovenia especially pharmaceuticals were of high quality.
Stephen said that the country known for its bent on standards was not among those the agency sniffing goods imported from it for substandard products for confiscation.
The director decried loss of investors money in situations where exports were rejected at ports of destinations, and said that the agency would partner with the chamber to ensure that produce met international packaging and storage standards to halt produce rejection by end users.
Mr. Chris Ihekwoaba, a participant, drew the attention of the chamber to some of the inhibitions investors harbour in diving into transnational businesses, such as scan, and delayed payment after export, and said such areas should be streamlined by the chamber to encourage people.
In his response, the DG said that the chamber operates under the Slovenia Spirit supervised by a public agency, saying whatever engagement between the two countries has been formalised by both countries’ governments, noting that any infraction would be handled amicably.
The CEO, encouraged Nigeria’s businessesmen to register with the chamber with ₦50,000 for an individual and ₦100,000 for the corporate body to enable them to gain from the direction, guidance, and trade facilitation offered by the chamber.
He added that the chamber would organise an export Expo to encourage Nigerians to export raw materials needed in Slovenia such as coal, ginger, coconut, groundnut, precious stones and others.
The programme ended the chamber’s business engagement for 2024.
