Goldridge partners South African firm on business development initiative

AN indigenous firm, Goldridge Development Company Nigeria Limited, in partnership with Full Imput Investment (Pty) Limited, South Africa has concluded plans to roll out a special project initiative that would foster business relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, expand trade frontiers and attract foreign direct investment into the country.The special project tagged, 'Celebration of Ubuntu', according to the Managing Director, Goldridge Development Company, Mr Okey Nwamadi, would give entrepreneurs and captain of industries in Nigeria an opportunity to meet with South Africa and build a sustainable mutual relationship, between Africa's two foremost economies, as well as challenge Nigerians to start investing in Africa, nothing that 'there is a huge market yet to be captured.'He explained that Ubuntu is a South African word for 'Friendship,' which invariably, suggests a platform for both countries to develop mutual understanding and social-cultural integration through the ordinary people'people interface and relationship.Nwamadi who submitted that there is an imbalance in trade between the two countries said, ' there are quite a good number of South Africana who operate in Nigeria and kudos goes to them and their expertriate drive, they have not ask our people not to diversify into the South African Economy.'Every country welcomes foreign investors, even the first world countries only that Nigeria has not exercised same investment drive to invest in Africa like the South Africans and looking inwards into Africa as a trade block.' We are aware of the imbalance of trade between the two countries but this event, Nigerian businesses are going to expect open doors for them, policies and rules being bent a little to allow Nigerian companies to compete favourable with South African.'It would become raw material for government officials to redefine their policies.' He added.According to him, Nigeria and South Africa are Africa's leading nations; but however noted that factors such as perception of criminality ascribed to Nigerians in South Africa and Xenophobia, of which South Africans are accused of have played out negatively on both countries in recent years, capable of jeopardizing the relationship between both countries.'Nigerians have always shared this opinion that her leaders, activists and artists played crucial roles in gaining 'Freedom' from Apartheid for South Africa and feel subsequently neglected and unappreciated by South Africans.'He said his organisation and its partners from South Africa strongly believe that if this mindset is not mitigated, it is capable of affecting the socio-economic development between both countries, especially now that the exigencies of globalization has educated nation states on the need to foster regional trade and economic alliances in order to be more competitive in the global economy.'The event would help deal with all these forces that introduce mistrust, destroy our friendship and weaken our relationship. With Ubuntu, we're creating an environment of openness in order to achieve self-understanding, knowledge about ourselves and partnerships.'In line with the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) which are multi-faceted, this initiative will give credence to our building Africa by 'understanding ourselves more, rather than hurting ourselves', he stressed.
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