The Nigerian Embassy on 27 June, 2013 at the Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen in Vienna, Austria hosted in a Business Investment Forum with focus on investment opportunities in Nigeria. During the event, over 35 visiting Nigerian businessmen engaged their Austrian counterparts in an in-depth exchange of information on potential areas of investment in Nigeria.
Businessmen from both countries were paired to formalise agreements on future cooperation. Other highlights of the event include Keynote Address and Formal Opening of the BIF by Comrade Aba Moro, Honourable Minister of Interior, Business and Investment Opportunities in Nigeria by the DG of the Raw Material Research and Development Council, Prof. Peter Azikiwe Onwualu, a general overview on Austria - Nigeria Business Relations delivered by Ms Nella Hengstler, Austrian Commercial Counsellor in Lagos, Presentations on Funding of "business partnerships" by the Austrian Development Agency and Raiffeisen Bank International, and the business opportunities and the investment drive in Edo State of Nigeria. Ambassador Laose, in welcoming participants to the Forum drew their attention to a special supplement published for the event, which is a compilation of articles on investment potentials and climate in Nigeria.
On Friday 28 June, a similar event also took place in Slovakia at the Holiday Inn Bratislava. The event which began as early by 7.30 am witnessed company presentations, three each from Nigeria and Slovakia, followed by network business meetings and pairing of businesses between Nigerian and Slovak Businessmen. The Governor of Osun State, H.E. Rauf Aregbeshola also presented investment and business opportunities in the Osun State of Nigeria to the Forum. The Slovakian Forum is expected to lead to the revival of the Nigerian/Slovak Chamber of Commerce which was active in the 1990s in Nigeria.
Most of the Nigerian participants expressed their delight at the opportunities presented by the BIF to establish new useful business contacts and deals with Austrian and Slovakian counterparts. Messers African Leadership Magazine, Consultants to the BIF are set to assess and publish the achievements of the event in order to encourage more of such businessmen focused sessions in promotion of Nigeria?s economic partnerships with other nations.