Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, departs Abuja on Saturday for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for high-level bilateral engagements in the Southeast Asian nation.
Spokesman for the Vice President, Laolu Akande who stated this in a release, said Osinbajo’s engagements in Vietnam would include meetings
with the President of Vietnam, Nguyễn Xuân Phúc; Vice President, Vo Thi Aah Xuan, Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, other government officials and the business community.
Akande said the Vice President’ s “reciprocal visit to Vietnam will further strengthen trade and bilateral relations between both countries.”
According to Akande, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vuong Hue, had visited Nigeria in October 2019, and met with Professor Osinbajo, other senior Nigerian government officials and also interacted with the Nigerian-Vietnam Business Association in furtherance of the trade and bilateral relations between both countries.
“As the then Deputy Prime Minister, who was accompanied to Nigeria by senior Vietnamese Government officials and businessmen, noted Nigeria is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Africa. Indeed trade between both countries stood at US$280 million in 2014 and increased to over US$500 million in 2019.
“Although Nigeria and Vietnam have maintained long-standing diplomatic relations since 1976, Vice President Osinbajo will be the second Nigerian high ranking incumbent government official to visit the Southeast Asian country after President Olusegun Obasanjo who visited in 2005.
“While in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Vice President is expected to witness the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Agreements on investment between Nigeria and Vietnam.
“He will also hold high level diplomatic discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart, Vice President Vo Thi Aah Xuan and the Prime Minister on issues of trade, commerce, agriculture, technology and innovation among others.”
The Presidential spokesman also said in the release that Osinbajo would later participate in a Business Forum with the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce with representatives from both countries.
“With the opportunities existing in agriculture & technology in Nigeria and Vietnam, discussions would focus on mutual benefits from effective collaboration in particular economic sectors so as to deepen the friendly and trade relations of both countries.”
Akande said the Vice President would conclude the visit to Vietnam on Wednesday.
Lateefah Ibrahim
