The United States Consulate in Lagos has celebrated the growing impact of the American Business Council on Nigeria-US bilateral trade, revealing an increase in trade volumes from $10bn to $11.3bn over the past year.
US Consul-General, Will Stevens, during a Thanksgiving event hosted in partnership with the ABC in Lagos, said, “We’ve done so much to build and grow our relationship from increases in bilateral trade, which I mentioned, from a little bit over $10bn of bilateral trade to $11.3bn in the last year.”
Stevens lauded the contributions of US companies and the mission’s initiatives in Nigeria, stating “Tonight, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the American Business Council and so many of our partners across Nigeria. It’s a time to come together and acknowledge the incredible work by US companies, the mission, and local communities to strengthen Nigeria.”
Stevens highlighted initiatives such as EducationUSA, which invests in the next generation of Nigerian students pursuing education in the US, and a network of 27 American Spaces that foster cultural and educational exchange.
He said, “We have things like EducationUSA, how the U.S. mission invests in the next generation of students in the United States. We have our network of 27 American spaces represented here.
“We have companies from across Nigeria and wherever you see US companies invested, you see them investing not just in business and trade, but investing in the people that they work with and the people that work for them, but also the communities where they work.”
Stevens hailed US companies for their commitment to Nigeria, emphasising their efforts to uplift local communities, noting “Wherever you see US companies invested, you see them investing not just in business and trade, but in the people and communities where they work.”
Stevens, who announced the end of his tenure in Nigeria, reflected on his career, remarking “It has been the honour of my life to spend the last two and a half years living in Nigeria and working with the amazing people here. Our bilateral relationship has seen remarkable growth, from increased trade to high-level engagements like the Binational Commission meeting in April.”
He expressed pride in being part of this progress and reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Nigeria-US relations, declaring “I’m looking forward to going to Washington and coming back, working on Nigeria issues from Washington.”
The CEO and Executive Secretary of the ABC, Margaret Olele, emphasised the Council’s role as the voice of American businesses in Nigeria and its efforts to foster trade and investment between the two countries.
“We represent over 91 US companies in Nigeria and work closely with the US mission to strengthen various sectors of the country,” Olele said.
She pointed to the Council’s focus on social impact as a cornerstone of its operations, noting “US companies are not here for a sprint but for a long race. You’ll see us in various sectors building capacity and providing value.”
Olele highlighted a recent collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development and a Silicon Valley-based start-up university to train Nigerian youths in digital solutions through cybersecurity hackathons.
