The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, yesterday assured of boosting partnership with Nigeria in the area of commerce and industry.
The minister gave the assurance when she visited the busy Oto Stockfish Market, Ebute Metta, Lagos, reputed to be the largest market for Norwegian dried fish on African continent.
According to her, the tour becomes imperative so she could interact with the traders and explore how the government, through the Norwegian Seafood Council, would develop and improve the business relationship between the stockfish importers and Norway.
The minister said Nigeria imports about 10,000 tons of stockfish heads yearly and the quantity keeps increasing, adding that it is has become imperative to facilitate trade relations between the two countries.
Stressing the need to delist stockfish and its head from goods that cannot access foreign exchange (forex) from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Huitfeldt said it is important for the Federal Government remove the restrictions as it will benefit and develop both countries adding that, the removal will also make fish affordable.
“It is very important that Nigeria government remove stockfish from the list of items with foreign exchange restrictions to enable Nigerians access to this kind of food.”
Norway stockfish is an extremely healthy sole source for protein. It contains as much less 80per cent protein. It is low in fat, and it contains essential vitamins. The currency restrictions have led to increased prices for stockfish. It is unfortunate if the price increase prevents people from buying this nutritious product,” the minister said.
Also speaking at the market, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria Knut Lein said strengthening and promoting trade ties with Nigeria is important to Norway.
The envoy expressed optimism that the incoming administration of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu will pay attention to the demands of the stakeholders in the aquaculture industry in the country.
He said: “We are here to show the minister what this great city has to offer and basically to discuss ways to increase the trade of stockfish between our two countries; to make stockfish cheaper and more accessible to the Nigerian people.
“We have for a long time been in dialogue with the Nigerian government on challenges to trade in this country including the access to forex, not only for fish, but for other items and products as well. And that dialogue continued with the minister yesterday between the minister and Nigeria Customs Service and the Lagos State governor. We will continue to push forward. We are hopeful that the new incoming government will do something in this regard,”
Lein said Norway is working with Nigerian authorities on capacity building when it comes to food quality improvement designed to help Nigerians be able to export and meet the criteria also in the European Union (EU) and overseas market.
“So, this is an ongoing effort between both Nigerian and Norwegian government. Also, the Seafood Council is working very hard on it too,” the envoy said.