By Vera Samuel Anyagafu & Prisca Sam-Duru

BELGIUM may rank as one of the countries that do not subject Nigerians to cumbersome visa processing, both in Abuja and Lagos. This is in sharp contrast to what many intending travellers go through in the hands of embassy officials as well as touts while trying to obtain visas to developed nations.

The above statement is based on the existing mutual relationship between Nigerians and their business counterparts in Belgium. Expressing his country’s readiness towards ensuring that Nigerian businessmen and women obtain visas without stress, the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Dirk Verheyen said, “it is easy for businessmen to obtain visa to Belgium for business transactions.

“As a matter of fact, it is easier for intending travellers who already have links, clients and contacts in Europe. They can indicate their financial statements through their clients and within a very short time, two to three weeks, they obtain their visas.”

Verheyen who spoke during the opening of the Belgium Economic Mission to Nigeria organised by Flanders Investment and Trade and Port of Antwerp, added, “we issue visas not only to Belgium but also to other Shengen countries. Each year I organise a forum in Abuja where I explain the rules of getting visas and we are already putting plans in place to make visa issuance easier than what was obtainable initially.”

Commenting on trade relations between his country and Nigeria, as well as the importance of the Economic Mission to Nigeria event, Ambassador Verheyen, noted that the trade mission with about 60 delegates from Belgium was aimed at promoting investment and trade between both countries. He said, “Belgium, through the Antwerp port, is one of the major European exporters to Nigeria and we export more than two billion Euro worth of goods annually and this trade mission will be a win-win situation. It is vital for Nigerian companies to discover the possibilities of Antwerp as an import hub for the nation.”

Verheyen said that Nigeria is the fifth trading partner with Belgium, stressing that Belgium is planning to make Nigeria the first with the mission. He also noted that the visit to Nigeria would create lots of investment opportunities for both countries and also engineer going to do business in Belgium.

Boko Haram insurgency: Also speaking, member, Executive Committee, Financing Division Adviser, World Bank, Alexander Herring who was one of the delegates at the event, said “I have been doing business with Nigerians for 15 years now and have good partners whom we enjoy good corporation with and we expect more build up to boost each others economy.”

Herring added, “Boko Haram insurgency has affected doing business in Nigeria not just in terms of volume but mostly time. For most of the companies who are already used to doing business in Africa, it is not an issue but problem of time. We realised that the companies have started lacking interest. They do not have a large budget to finance this whole problem of time. Somehow, I can say it is a pity, because the whole of European based industries are mainly based on small and medium scale enterprise.

Medium scale enterprise

“Our Chamber of Commerce here in Nigeria tries to encourage them to continue to do business in Nigeria by advising, providing adequate information and training members.”

Describing the mission as a multi-sectoral mission with about seven sectors represented in areas such as dredging, manufacturing, power, agro-allied, agriculture and infrastructure etc, Herring explained “we are a multi-sectoral economic mission from Belgium and our members are looking for new possibilities of doing business in Nigeria as well as exploring new partnerships and investments in Nigeria.

“We are looking for long term relationships and businesses because most of our members are looking for partnerships to explore other possibilities in Nigeria and to see what they can import to Belgium out of Nigeria. Nigeria is a major trade partner with Belgium although there are existing business relations between the two countries for years now, Belgians still try to open up new markets to suit the time.

“Our mission is to get new contacts within the Nigerian business community because we have delegates who are here for the mission who are representing various companies in Belgium who are looking to do business with Nigerians and those who are interested in investing in Nigeria.”