Nigeria is exploring opportunities for greater trade and business linkages with Jamaica.

This, according to Nigerian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Dr Maureen Tamuno, speaking at a virtual service excellence conference held on Tuesday (October 5).

High Commissioner Tamuno advised that since assuming duties in June, she has had several meetings with government ministers and business people to explore opportunities for increased business between the two countries.

She explained that Jamaica and Nigeria have been working to strengthen relations in trade, air services and culture since establishing diplomatic ties on April 29, 1970. Pointing to the Fourth Session of the Nigeria-Jamaica Joint Commission, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Jamaica said this forum will provide a “formidable platform for rejuvenating existing bilateral agreements and scaling up relations in critical areas of mutual interest”.

The event is scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, during the first quarter of 2022.

Among the areas of mutual interest between the countries are petroleum and energy, agriculture, trade, tourism and culture, double taxation, consular and immigration matters; establishing a Technical Aid Corps (TAC); and a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).

High Commissioner Tamuno added that formalising a new air-service agreement would be a “win-win endeavour for both countries”.

“While Jamaica would serve as a gateway for exploring opportunities in the wider Caribbean region by Nigeria, our country would serve the same purpose for Jamaica in Africa,” she added.

Dr Tamuno emphasised that given Nigeria’s population of about 250 million people, 285 tribes and more than 500 languages, the two countries would “work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to strengthen ancestral and cultural affinities”.

She informed that Nigeria, in collaboration with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation recently organised a free skills training event in head wrapping, bead-making and batik tie and dye, for young Jamaicans and Nigerians.

The two-day Service Excellence Conference, which concluded on Wednesday, is part of activities to mark National Customer Service Week from October 3 to 8, under the theme, ‘You…Me…We Got the Power of Service Excellence’.