Tangoing with Nigerians

At only 18 months, Nigeria has one of the youngest diplomatic missions in Syria. The charge d’affaires, Hassan Mohammed Hassan, arrived in Damascus in June 2007, and the embassy was opened on July 1, with temporary premises at the Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of the Syrian capital. Forward spoke to the Nigerian diplomat in Syria, who has served previously as his country’s envoy to Pakistan and the New York Office of the United Nations.  
 

Bilateral economic relations between Syria and Nigeria are not common knowledge for many Syrians. Can you start by telling us where they stand today, what is the trade balance, and what are the prospects for moving this relationship forward?  
 

Trade balance between Nigeria and Syria is not very significant at the moment. This deficit is highly compensated by the presence in Nigeria of over 10,000 expatriate Syrians. Many are involved in profitable businesses, and some of their earnings are transferred on a periodic basis back to their families in Syria. The Nigerian Embassy in Damascus and the Syrian Embassy in Abuja are working hard to encourage bilateral trade. I assure you that we are committed to this objective.  
 

Do you think that Nigeria is still a virgin market for Syrian investors?  

Nigeria is a very big market for any serious investor from any part of the world. There are so many sectors of the Nigerian economy that are very attractive to foreign business. Nigeria embarked on its economic reform program in 1999, and has achieved remarkable success. The local laws have been reformed and reviewed. The banking sector, telecommunications, oil, gas, energy, and agriculture are all open for potential investors who want to come to Nigeria. 

Very frequently, both the Syrian Chambers of Commerce and Industry warned against fraud contracts and electronic messages coming from Nigeria into Syria, carrying names of Nigerian businessmen. What is the story behind the massive amount of spam mail being sent to Syrian emails, calling on Syrians to put money in virtual business-deals with Nigeria? 

Nigeria is an important country in Africa and the second largest economy in that part of the world. It has a population of over 140 million people and a strong pillar of support to all the economies of the countries of the West African sub-region. Syrian expatriates first came to Nigeria in the early part of 1920s and have lived there in peace ever since. They are well established in most aspects of the economy, especially in commerce, manufacturing, oil and gas, and education. I am not aware of any warning issued by the Syrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry against any fake business messages coming from Nigeria, but they have, I commend them for doing so. My reason for saying this is that the chamber is genuinely interested in doing good business with Nigerian businessmen, the private sector, and the Nigerian government. This is what the Nigerian government has been advocating for over two decades. We want credible foreign investors to come to Nigeria. We do not want cheap opportunistic business people who go to Nigeria with the intention of committing fraud or making easy money.  

Some people are attracted by the junk mail, allegedly coming from Nigeria, that promise millions of dollars for doing nothing. Please note that it takes two to tango. We thank the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for enlightening their members about this development because they are equally contributing to the growth of good business between Syria and Nigerian businessmen. The Commercial/Economic Section of the Nigerian Embassy is readily available to advise businessmen and women who want to invest genuinely in Nigeria. Nigerians, like Syrians are very hardworking, peace loving, and peaceful people who are always ready to do business with the Syrian business community. A team from the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has written to us indicating their desire to further improve commerce and business relations with Syria. The Embassy is currently working on this. It is my fervent hope and desire that relations between our two countries would transcend the political realm and firmly establish itself in the economic and commercial arena. 

What is your assessment on the investment climate in Syria, in light of recently issued decisions backing up reforms and economic liberalization?  

The Syrian government is doing explicitly well in this regard. The decision to embark on liberalization and reform measures will surely catapult the country into the club of emerging developing economies of the world. The Syrian people are very hard working, industrious and disciplined. These are vital ingredients for successful economic development. The liberalization policy will certainly unleash these good qualities into the process of development and the sky is the limit for Syria in this respect.