Nigeria, Canada trade hits $3bn

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Chris Cooter, has called for a stronger trade relations between his country and Nigeria.The High Commissioner, who put the volume of trade between Nigeria and Canada at about $3bn, said Nigeria had been able to endear itself to the international community, with improved human rights record.Cooter stressed the need to explore novel means to tackle the problem of youths unemployment in Africas most populous country.Cooter who spoke during on interactive session with members of the civil societies in Benin, Edo State, identified mobile telephone technology as a means of creating and improving on the skills of the unemployed.He said, Canada is concerned about human rights in Nigeria and that was why we closed our embassy during the Abacha era, when peoples rights were trampled on.Another thing of concern to me, which people ask me about anywhere I go in Nigeria is youths unemployment. Nigeria has a large youth population, millions of which are unemployed. There is large youths unemployment, while the education sector is impeding on skills.Nigeria is nevertheless in a pretty good position because its economy is growing very well. What is left is to bridge the gap between demand (work) and the resources available to the country.Human resources remain Nigerias best asset, not crude oil. Trade has increased two fold since and now getting to between two and three United States dollars.Highlighting some of the advantages opened to the country with the benefit of a large population, the diplomat called for the adaptation of the cell phone technology economic issues.According to him, Nigeria with its high density rate, is well placed to explore some other opportunities derivable from the technology.He said, Incredibly too, Nigeria has the advantage of information penetration. You have more cell phones available to the populace than obtainable in Canada; your cell phone density is much higher than in Canada, so we ask what do we do with the cell phones
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