Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has stated that his administration is willing to strengthen the bilateral relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to foster partnerships that drive growth and development.
Sanwo-Olu made this remark today during a Courtesy Visit by the Consul-General of the United Arab Emirates, Salem Aljaberi, held at the Office of the Deputy Governor’s Office, the Roundhouse, Alausa, Ikeja.
The Governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said that the state government is willing to work with the office of the Consul-General to ensure that it strengthens ties in key areas of mutual benefits.
He noted that so far, the UAE and Nigeria, particularly Lagos State, have enjoyed a strong relationship. “Our president has visited your country twice, and he takes the UAE extremely seriously. It’s a nation we can build good relationships with, which understands us, and we understand them too. So I’m very happy that you are very enthusiastic. You have a lot of energy in building the relationship between us,” said Sanwo-Olu.
The Governor, therefore, reaffirmed that the state is willing to work with the UAE to make sure that Lagos state’s objectives are achieved, increasing business relationships and in every human endeavour, so that the two nations can enjoy seamless operations.
He recalled that the predecessor of the Consul-General had a good relationship with the Lagos government, adding that the relationship with the Country is good, but the collaboration can actually increase the goals of the state government in terms of innovation and development.
Accordingly, the Governor elucidated that the annual GITEX event in Dubai showcases many young Nigerians excelling in Information Technology (IT), supported through the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC). “So, on this basis, the Lagos state Government requested that the Dubai World Trade Centre host a GITEX program in Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Consul-General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Salem Aljaberi, affirmed that the UAE and Nigeria have consistently pursued meaningful partnerships, emphasizing that the UAE considers Nigerians, especially Lagosians, as brothers.
According to Aljaberi, “The trade or the relationship between the UAE and Nigeria is based on respect and brotherhood. We share the same value. We share the same culture. In the coming years, we need to be the number one partner with Nigeria.”
He noted that since the establishment of bilateral relations with Nigeria in 1982, both countries have worked diligently to build a mutually beneficial relationship, highlighting that non-oil trade between the UAE and Nigeria has grown by as much as 60 percent, reaching 4.3 billion USD in 2024.
“Some people will say this is a good number. I believe this is not a good number. We need to work very hard. We need to double this number in the coming years. This is my target here in Lagos,” the Consul-General concluded.
