German and Nigerian firms have intensified efforts to strengthen partnership in information and communications technology (ICT) and promote structured labour mobility to deepen bilateral trade, facilitate market entry and address skilled talent deficit in the two countries.
Speaking at a business conference on technological developments yesterday in Lagos, the General Manager, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (DGIC) International Business Service Limited, Catherine Nwaiku, explained that the mission sought to facilitate trade between Germany and Nigeria by matching seven German companies active in ICT and labour mobility with suitable Nigerian partners.
Nwaiku noted that the project was supported and funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany.
Head of Countries and Markets at the German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein), Khadi Camara, said the delegation of seven companies was focused on solving practical challenges, helping firms navigate market entry, identifying reliable local representatives and gaining access to Nigerian talent for German companies.
“Some of the companies do not know where to start or what kind of partners to work with. Others are desperately looking for talent to introduce to German companies. We are trying to give them a sense of who could be their potential partners in Nigeria, who could represent them here and how they can have access to talent,” Camara explained.
Camara said there would be business-to-business interaction between Nigerian companies to enable German firms to understand the structures and working environment.
“We would still support them in follow-up and see how they can open a representation here in Nigeria, how they can establish real partnerships with Nigerian companies or the Nigerian government,” she added.
Also, the Founder of Bazara Technologies Inc., Boye Ademola, said in a panel session that Nigeria needs to work on its brand, build products that work, and tell its own stories to position itself on a global scale.
“We need to build world-class products. Germany built a design. We need to do a lot of design and create a product that works,” he said.
Head of Global Operations at AltSchool Africa, Oluwanifemi Akinwamide, affirmed that Nigerian firms need to do a lot of rebranding to enable foreign partners to understand the Nigerian business landscape.
“Our German counterparts have come here and seen a different angle of how Nigerians actually are, seeing that we are not as bad as people claim that we are. More of this is what is missing,” he explained.
