Nigerian government has shown keen interest in expanding economic ties with Pakistan and is willing to initiate joint ventures in oil and gas, fertilisers and for the establishment of an oil refinery. This was stated by Pakistan's High Commissioner to Nigeria Major General (Retd.) Mohammad Ashraf Saleem while talking to LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar him here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday.

LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad and Executive Committee Members Mian Zahid Javaid, Khawaja Shahzeb Akram, Mehmood Ghaznvi, Shoaib Zahid Malik and Convenor LCCI Committee on Pak-Africa business promotion Zafar Mehmood also spoke on the occasion.

The High Commissioner said that Nigerians want to establish LNG and Fertiliser Plants in collaboration with Pakistan so Pakistani businessmen should join hands with them to avail this opportunity. He said Nigeria has tremendous potential for low tech Pakistani products, therefore, Pakistani businessmen dealing in low tech products should capture this opportunity without further delay. Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that Pakistan's business community also wanted to enhance bilateral trade relations with Nigeria.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012