THE Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture has sought the partnership of companies in the United States of America in the area of import and export trade.
The Chamber is seeking partnership majorly in the area of exportation of agricultural products such as cashew nut, shea nut, soybean, sesame seed, cassava and solid minerals.
President, Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, Sir Sola Abodunrin, made the request on behalf of other members when a delegation of the US Consulate in Lagos paid a courtesy visit to the Chamber in Ibadan, on Thursday.
Abodunrin, noted that the Chamber would also like to partner with the US embassy on capacity building for members and training of young people in Ibadan city as a form of empowerment.
“Establishment of the educational and vocational centre for skills acquisition in Information and Communication Technology as well as women empowerment training is a major area we want US Embassy to partner with the Chamber,” he said.
Abodunrin further told the US Consulate team that members of the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce are desirous of participating in Trade Fairs and Business Conferences in the US, especially those that are into agribusiness.
“We solicit the cooperation of the commercial section through the Networking United States of America (NUSA) to enable our members to key into the Trade Mission programmes by granting them entry VISA.”
In his response, the leader of the US Consulate team, who is also the Political-Economic Chief at the Consulate, Brandon Husdpeth, said the Consulate would look into the request made by the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce President and see a way a partnership would be activated to further strengthen the economic relationship between Nigeria and the US.
A Council member of the Chamber, Mr Segun Bolaji, while speaking on the issue of VISA issuance to members noted that in the past, members secure VISA easily and this had afforded them the opportunity to travel to the US for various business activities, stating that the refusal rate is now on the high side.
He stated that members of the Chamber who travelled to the US in the past went there strictly for business purposes adding that none of them absconded. He urged the US Consulate team to take a look at the issue of VISA issuance and do something about it so that members can have the opportunity to travel to the US to do business without hassle.
Husdpeth while reacting said the issuance of VISA to visit the US is usually based on an individual’s qualification to be granted entry VISA.
He, however, noted that once an individual is qualified by meeting the requirements and if the Chamber can vouch for the person, there may be no problem securing an entry VISA to the US.
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