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By Bimbola Oyesola
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has said it would strengthen its engagement with United States companies in Nigeria as the United States is a strategic partner of the bank.
Speaking at the the first Discover AfDB-Nigeria Business Spotlight, organised by the United States Commercial Service Liaison Office to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Development Bank’s Nigeria Country Department in collaboration with the American Business Council, Lamin Barrow, director-general of the AfDB for Nigeria, outlined the bank’s country strategy for Nigeria, key initiatives and financing activities to support the country’s economic and social progress.
“The Nigeria Country Department of the African Development Bank is delighted to be part of this initiative to expand outreach and provide a platform to inform US firms about business opportunities arising from the Bank’s financing activities to the public and private sector in African countries. The USA is a strategic partner of the Bank, so we look forward to strengthening our engagement with US companies,” Lamin said.
This event, according to the embassy in Nigeria underscores the strong U.S. commercial engagement in Nigeria.
The event, held at Microsoft’s Lagos office, welcomed over 70 U.S. firms working in Nigeria.
The organisers said it is the first in a series titled Discover AfDB, led by the U.S. Commercial Service, to expand outreach to the U.S. private sector, enhance knowledge on the activities of the Bank’s operations in Nigeria and highlight upcoming business opportunities.
Ashley Ndir, the United States’ Senior Commercial Liaison to the AfDB while welcoming participants to the event noted, “the U.S. Commercial Liaison Office to the AfDB’s objective is to assist U.S. companies in navigating public and corporate procurement opportunities at the Bank and expand understanding of the resources of the AfDB’s private sector financing. We want to see more American firms active in doing business with the AfDB here in Nigeria as well as across the continent.”
The United States is the largest non-regional shareholder at the African Development Bank. The AfDB has over 54 operations in their Nigeria portfolio valued at $4.5 billion.
The event also witnessed a panel discussants on the theme
“Infrastructure and Digital Transformation for Nigeria-Business Opportunities.” Panelists included AfDB’s Rosemond Offei-Awuku, task manager for the Bank’s Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprise (I-DICE) program; Orison Amu, Operations Support Manager; Patrick Owuori, Procurement Lead; as well as Microsoft’s Azure business group lead Chukwuma Okpaka who provided perspective of the private sector’s work in the digital space.
