By Patience Saghana

Bilateral trade between Nigeria and Pakistan reached N840 million or $56 million in 2010 while the Islamic country   exported a N3.75trillion or $25billion globally.

Jonathan

Disclosing the figures to Vanguard at an interaction session ahead of 2011 Expo Pakistan, Mr. Ahmed Ali Sirohey, Pakistan’s Deputy High Commission said that Pakistan exported N555 million or $37million worth of goods  to Nigeria while  it imported N285million or  $19milion worth of goods from the country, totaling N840million ($56milion) trade exchange between the two countries this year. He added that within the same period Pakistan  exported $25billion worth of its products to the world.

Sirohey said that though the quantum of trade between the two countries was still relatively small, it would increase  by the time  the two countries finalised talks on trade agreement,  which is stocked with lot of opportunities for joint ventures businesses the two countries.

Pakistan, he stated,  exported N15 billion textile garments; $500 million home appliances; $300 million surgical equipments; and 3.6 million tonnes of rice to mention but a few.

As at December 2010, he said,  Pakistan has 4,300 textile mills; 700 multinational companies; 563 pharmaceutical companies; 148 airports; eight  international airports; 20 factories,; 85 sugar mills; 138 universities and 68 medical colleges.

Others he mentioned, are 555 daily Newspapers; 445 weekly papers; 85 private television stations; 160 primary schools, 29,000 secondary schools; 3, 000 tertiary institutions and 168 teacher training colleges, amongst others.

He said Pakistan do not encourage Nigeria to export primary products like food items, and textiles to its country but added that there are a lot of other products that Nigerians could export to Pakistan  as long as the products are of high quality and cost effective for Pakistanis to buy.

The Pakistan government, the Deputy High Commission said was already talking with the Nigeria government on trade agreement and to also enable  Pakistan open trade missions in Lagos while Nigeria could open trade mission in Carati, Pakistan.

Sirohey said  that Nigerian and Pakistan could benefit  in three ways if the trade agreement is reached as follow, that Nigerian should export quality and relatively cheap products to Pakistan; that Nigeria and Pakistan should go into joint ventures which could help in reviving the Nigerian textiles industry and that Pakistan government should support Nigerian government on agricultural research.