The Federal Government has assured Nigerian auto spare-parts dealers in Angola of its commitment to protecting their investments and advancing the interests of Nigerians living and doing business abroad.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, gave the assurance during a visit to the Cidade De Motores, or City of Engines, in Luanda, where the Nigerian Auto Parts Dealers Association operates a major market.
The minister commended the traders for their investment, describing the facility as a demonstration of the entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians abroad.
She said the protection of Nigerian-owned businesses would be prioritised in future bilateral discussions with Angola, particularly at the next Nigeria-Angola Joint Commission.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also urged the traders to remain law-abiding and serve as good ambassadors of Nigeria, warning against ethnic discrimination in the management of the market.
The association’s president, Chuks Ukachi, explained that the market was established after Nigerian traders were stopped from operating along the roadside in Angola, leaving many without business for nearly two years.
He appealed for Federal Government support to secure and protect the facility, which he described as a major investment by Nigerian entrepreneurs in Angola.