19 October 2008
Lagos — Lagos Government and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argen-tina, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and develop business relationships between the two governments.
Represented by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the Chief of Government of Buenos Aires, Mr. Mauricio Macri respectively, the agreement covers Foreign Trade, Economic Develop-ment and Technical Develop-ment. Other areas to be covered by the agreement include Tourism and Cultural activities.
At the brief but very impressive ceremony, which took place at the office of the Chief of Government of Buenos Aires, Fashola identified marine agriculture, cattle rearing, beef production and canning as specific areas in which Lagos would like to partner with Buenos Aires because of its comparative advantage and investments already made by Lagos in those areas especially in the Eastern part of the State, of lkorodu and Epe.
Fashola noted that a huge market awaits any foreign investor coming to Lagos, adding that a population of 18 million people are currently waiting to be served. The governor explained that in order to meet the yearnings of the populace and the love of Nigerians for shopping, the State Government has devoted 16,000 hectares of land as Free Trade Zone in Lekki.
"We are trying to bring what all our compatriots go to look for abroad to them in our country," the Governor said.
Fashola, while commending Macri for the good job of running a clean and well organized City also invited him to visit Lagos.
The Governor also urged the government of Buenos Aires to explore the possibility of partnering with the Nigerian government to establish direct flights between Lagos and Buenos Aires, adding that a lot of travel time could be saved through this.
Earlier, Fashola, who said he was in Argentina to attend the 2008 edition of the annual International Bar Association Conference and also used the advantage of being in South America to visit Brazil for the conclusion of talks on the establishment of a bus manufacturing plant in Lagos, had told his host that Nigeria is making progress as a democratic nation after the set back caused by the political crisis of 1993.
Both Fashola and Macri also compared notes on the challenges of sanitation, transportation and traffic management confronting their cities with Macri declaring that economic growth comes with its peculiar challenge of concentration of population in the cities , and that the problems are the same everywhere as he explained that Buenois Aires was also grappling with rural urban migration which was placing enormous stress on her infrastructure.
Present at the MOU signing ceremony were the Ambassador of Nigeria to Argentina , Mr. Empire Nduka Kanu, other top officials of the Embassy and Senior aides of Fashola.
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