President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the Australian Prime Minister, Ms. Julia Gillard Thursday in Perth, formally announced the establishment of a new Nigeria-Australia Trade and Investment Council to identify and develop new areas of economic cooperation between both countries.
The Council will initially focus on promoting collaboration between Nigeria and Australia in the energy, mining, agriculture and financial service sectors.
A joint statement signed by President Jonathan and Prime Minister Gillard said that a meeting will be convened in Nigeria early next year to launch and promote the council’s activities to the Nigerian private sector.
The statement named a leading Australian businessman, Mr. Hugh Morgan and the Chairman of the Diamond Group Advisory Board, Chief Pascal Dozie as Co-Chairmen of the Council.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga and Australia’s Trade Minister, Dr. Craig Emerson will serve as patrons of the council which is expected to establish secretariats in Lagos and Perth with the backing of the private sector in Nigeria and Australia.
The establishment of the council is one of the immediate outcomes of President Jonathan’s pre-Commonwealth Summit official visit to Western Australia.
Nigeria is already Australia’s second largest trading partner in Africa and six Australian mining companies are currently active in Nigeria.