The United Kingdom is working with the Nigerian government towards doubling their current trade volume, as a way of deepening bilateral economic relationship between the two commonwealth nations, according to the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Carter.
“Well, my job here is to make Nigeria and Britain as prosperous as we can. We need to increase trade and investments. We are already on the way to doubling Bi-lateral trade between the two countries before 2014,” Mr. Carter said in an interview Monday with journalists shortly after paying a courtesy call on the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
At a recent interview with Journalists in Abuja, a top British envoy in Nigeria put the Current volume of trade between Nigeria and Britain at 4 billion pounds.
With the latest statement, the trade volume will increase to 8 billion pounds by 2014.
On consular matters, the diplomat said his country recognised the importance of a smooth visa services, particularly for genuine business people and visitors to the United Kingdom.
He assured Nigerians that efforts are on to make issuance of visas less stressful.
According to him, “We are constantly looking at ways to improve the service, while maintaining the necessary security that we need to have to make sure that we have people who have good reasons for going to Britain. We will make it difficult for people who want to go fraudulently. But I can assure that our aim is to make the obtaining of visas as efficient and straight forward with little time as we can make it.”
On his visit to the governor, Mr. Carter said the UK has had a long standing relationship with the city of Lagos and his visit was to reinforce the importance his home government attached to Nigeria and the commercial capital.
