| Welcome
to 'NAMASKAR AFRICA' an Indian business expedition
to Africa. It presents a unique opportunity to the Indian
companies to make their presence felt in Nigeria and
the West African countries by showcasing themselves
in the exclusive exhibition and also by networking with
the Who's Who of Nigeria and West Africa at the business
forum. This initiative, organized by the Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI),
the apex business chamber of India with due support
from Ministry of Commerce, Government of India is also
supported by the ECOWAS and the various Chambers of
Commerce of Nigeria and the West African countries.
The event will invite participation
from policy makers, procurement agencies and private
sector players from Nigeria and the West African countries.
The show would be an exclusive platform for the Indian
and the African companies to meet their counterparts
and identify the strategic partners for potential
business association with them.
Nigeria:
A potential business destination
Nigeria
has fast emerged as India's largest trading partner
in Africa. Bilateral trade between the two countries
which has been in the vicinity of US$ 3 billion in
the last few years, reached US$ 8 bn last year. India's
exports to Nigeria have shown a healthy upward trend
although the balance of trade has been in Nigeria's
favor.
Nigeria holds the distinction
of being the second largest economy in Sub Sahara
Africa accounting for 41 percent of the region's GDP.
With a population of 148 million people, Nigeria is
also the largest country in Africa accounting for
47 percent of West Africa's population thus constituting
one of the biggest potential domestic market in entire
Africa. The economic potential of this country is
vast, diversified and offers lot of opportunities.
In the last four years, Nigeria has made important
strides in economic reforms. Nigerian economy has
been doing significantly well with over 6% growth
rate, low inflation and high foreign exchange reserves.
Nigeria also holds the potential to serve as a springboard
for the 15 country ECOWAS market.
| 
