By Rotimi Asher, Lagos
A delegation of around 40 Saudi Arabian companies kicked off Business-to-Business ,B2B, meetings with Nigerian companies on Tuesday in Lagos, aimed to build partnerships and strengthen trade between the two countries.
The event was organised by the Saudi Export Department, the Saudi trade mission to Nigeria.
It brought together businesses from a variety of sectors including construction, food and beverages, chemicals, consumer goods, furniture, and packaging.
Representatives of the visiting companies, who spoke in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, said Nigeria’s large population of about 230 million people was a major factor in their organisations’ interest in expanding into the Nigerian market.
Mohammed Rafi, Export Manager at Saudi Leather Industries Factory Companies Ltd., a company with over four decades of experience in making safety boots and durable footwear, said the company’s goal in Nigeria was to form strategic partnerships and boost exports.
He said that oil and gas and construction sectors were key targets for the company’s products. Rafi said that the products stood out for their quality and value.
He noted Saudi Arabia’s growing interest in Nigeria as a key economic partner in Africa. He also noted the national importance of the trade mission.
Imran Memon, Sales Manager at ESNAD Company Ltd., a 30-year-old Saudi manufacturer of food and flavour additives, also expressed strong interest in the Nigerian market.
He said that the company planned to first establish presence in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, before expanding to other Nigerian cities.
Memon said that his organisation’s main goal was to introduce its spice products to Nigerian consumers and grow its brand. He thanked the Saudi Export Department for making the trade mission possible.
Khalid Saadeddin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of SAADEDDIN, a Saudi company involved in food and real estate, also saw great potential in Nigeria’s food market.
He described Lagos as a vital African market, alongside cities such as Cape Town, citing Nigeria’s large population and the country’s diverse food preferences as sources of interest.
He acknowledged the importance of Nigerian Muslims’ annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, describing the pilgrimage as valuable.
He said that beyond exporting cheese to Nigeria, his organisation showed interest in sourcing cocoa powder and possibly chocolate from Nigeria, given its heavy involvement in chocolate production and current reliance on European and Turkish suppliers.
He said he was optimistic about future collaborations, especially considering the cultural and taste similarities between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Shadi Alziq, Sales Manager at Middle East-based Plastic Industries, which specialises in store solutions and packaging products such as plastic pallets and plates, said his company was eager to explore Nigeria’s growing market. “This is our first time entering Nigeria”, he said.
He said that the organisation was attracted to Lagos by a Saudi Export event and research that identified the city as Nigeria’s fastest-growing economically, in the last decade.
He said the organisation’s main goal was to understand the local market and find potential partners for its plastic product line.
The trade mission is expected to pave the way for meaningful partnerships across several key sectors, with the overarching goal of deepening economic ties between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
