The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on European investors to shift from extractive trade practices to local production partnerships in Nigeria, emphasizing that technology transfer and in-country manufacturing are key to tackling youth unemployment and reducing irregular migration.
Kalu made the appeal in Abuja while receiving a delegation of European parliamentarians under the First Step Forum, led by Marc Jost, during a courtesy visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation.
At the centre of his proposal is the "near-shoring" economic model, which encourages relocating industrial production closer to the source of raw materials. He said the approach would unlock value, create jobs, and deepen economic ties between Africa and Europe.
"We have a huge youth population. You have the capital and the technology; we have the raw materials. The question is why we are not practising what the economy calls near-shoring," Kalu said.
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He stressed the importance of local processing over exporting raw commodities, citing cocoa as an example: "Why export cocoa only to import finished chocolate? Let the factories come here. That is value addition and that is how jobs are created."
Kalu also highlighted Nigeria's lithium reserves as globally competitive and strategically important for the transition to clean energy, urging partnerships to produce electric vehicle batteries domestically rather than exporting the mineral in raw form.
Beyond economic issues, Kalu called for a reset in Africa-Europe relations, advocating partnerships built on mutual benefit and shared prosperity. He further noted Nigeria's religious diversity as a governance strength that promotes inclusivity and balanced decision-making.
He also praised the inclusive leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing policies and symbolic actions, including interfaith engagements, that foster national religious harmony.
The European delegation's visit is part of ongoing efforts to enhance parliamentary diplomacy and explore collaborative solutions to global challenges, particularly in migration, economic development, and sustainable investment.
