MAPUTO, June 4 , – Mr Uchenna Nwafor, President of the Association of Nigerians in Mozambique, says Nigerians residing in the country are doing well and contributing meaningfully to the economy.
Nwafor said this in a telephone interview with the hotnewsroundup.com from Maputo on Thursday.
He said the Nigerian community in Mozambique was estimated at about 15,000 people.
According to him, most Nigerians in the country are engaged in business activities, particularly in the spare parts, fashion and cosmetics sectors.
“We also have lecturers, bankers and engineers, but the majority of Nigerians here are into business,” he said.
Nwafor said the relationship between members of the Nigerian community and Mozambicans had remained cordial.
He, however, identified the absence of a Mozambican diplomatic mission in Nigeria as a major challenge facing Nigerians living in Mozambique.
According to him, while Nigeria maintains a diplomatic mission in Mozambique, the Mozambican government has no diplomatic presence in Nigeria.
“This is a major issue for us. To renew our documents, we travel to Kenya or Ethiopia because Mozambique does not have any diplomatic mission in the entire West African sub-region.
“There is a need to encourage Mozambique to establish a diplomatic presence in Nigeria to advance economic and other mutual interests,” he said.
Nwafor also said Mozambique was endowed with one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world, offering significant investment opportunities.
He added that two Nigerian banks, Access Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA), were currently operating in Mozambique.
He expressed optimism that stronger diplomatic and economic ties between both countries would further enhance opportunities for Nigerians and Mozambicans alike.
