The visiting Switzerland Global Enterprises Senior Consultant for Africa, Mr Suhail El-Obeid, on Monday announced the growing interest of more Swiss companies in taking advantage of Nigeria’s population, for their products.
El-Obeid told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he was specifically visiting Nigeria to ascertain the existing market for Swiss companies in the country.
According to him, the companies are willing to bring their machinery, infrastructure, food and pharmaceutical products into the Nigerian market.
“The Swiss Government has mandated my Agency to assist Swiss companies in their internationalisation process.
“There is currently a rising interest of more Swiss companies in taking advantage of Nigeria’s market for their products.
“I am, therefore, visiting Nigeria to carefully collect the needed data that would give these companies information about the availability of Nigeria’s market for them.
“We have always seen Nigeria as a force to be reckoned with in doing business or investing in Africa,’’ he said.
El-Obeid said that from his interactions with many Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Consulates-General and Swiss companies in Nigeria, there would be many business opportunities for Swiss companies in Nigeria.
He also said that his interactions had as well revealed the challenges that the Swiss companies were likely to contend with when doing business with and in Nigeria.
The Swiss companies’ representative said that there was currently the challenges of the foreign exchange policy, difficulties in getting the right partners, as well as lack of market transparency in the country.
He, however, expressed optimism that the government and stakeholders’ ability to urgently address the challenges would attract more Swiss and other foreign companies into the Nigerian market. (NAN)
