The High Commissioner of India in Nigeria, Amb. Rangaian Ghanashyam, on Thursday urged Nigeria to urgently begin to work hard at developing her non-oil products for local consumption and export.
Ghanashyam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that it was imperative for the country to come up with a workable mechanism aimed at harnessing the numerous non-oil products.
The envoy said that Nigeria’s “glorious economy’’ in the past was dependent on her exported cocoa, cotton, peanuts and other non-oil products.
“Let me say that Nigeria is much more than depending on just oil and gas. To me, Nigeria is not an emerging economy. Nigeria is a re-emerging economy.
“Nigeria to us has had a glorious economy in the past. Nigeria has been there before and now wants to forge ahead.
“We believe that Nigeria cannot continue to depend on her oil and gas. Indian companies now want to concentrate with Nigeria in sectors that are non-oil and gas,’’ he said.
The high commissioner said that more Indian non-oil companies had indicated interest in working with President Buhari’s administration in developing Nigeria’s non-oil sectors.
Ghanashyam, who pledged his government’s commitment to trade and investment cooperation, said that a delegation of 200 Indian non-oil companies were recently in Lagos to interact with their Nigerian partners.
He said the companies were interested in supplying Nigeria with fertilisers, bio-fuel, small plants, tractors, process technologies and other equipment needed in the nation’s non-oil sectors.
“The visit of this delegation was to tell Nigerians that India is more than ready to do more businesses with Nigeria in non-oil sectors.
“We are happy that we now have a new administration in Nigeria that strongly believes in itself,’’ he said. (NAN)