Mr. Saeed Koozechi is the Iranian Ambassador  to Nigeria. In this interview with BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE & JONAH NWOPOKU, he spoke on the bilateral trade relations between Nigeria and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also spoke on how the two countries can explore the opportunities provided by the upcoming first Iranian Solo Exhibition in Nigeria to boost  trade ties. Excerpts:

Besides oil gas, what are the other economic and trade opportunities in Iran?

As you may know, Iran is one of the biggest countries with the highest crude oil and gas reserves in the world. But in spite of that, the Iranian government is gradually reducing its dependence on oil revenue. In the next couple of years, Iran shall be relying more on other sources of revenue. In this current year, our budget is just 30 percent dependent on oil and gas revenue. As a matter of fact, we are actually concentrating on industry and other industry-related sectors of oil and gas. Take the petrochemical industry for example; this is a very huge and valuable sector for the Iranian economy. Iran produces 60 million tons of petrochemicals annually and we deploy them for the local market and the idea is to support many of the SMEs in the country who use them as raw materials. Of all the petrochemicals produced in Iran, only 25 percent are exported to the international market. Last year, Iranian export of petrochemicals stood at about $15 billion.

Saeed Koozechi

In the power sector which is one of the most important infrastructures in Iran, we have made good progress and have achieved about 95 percent self sufficiency in this sector including design and manufacture of equipment like turbines, transmission equipment and many others. Last year, Iran exported $1 billion worth of electricity to neighbouring countries.

In the steel industry, there is about 17 million tons production annually providing the needed support for the Iranian industry. Many of Iranian cities rely on Iranian-made machines.

In this exhibition, there will be fifteen companies showcasing Iranian made machines and products. I think that since Nigeria is going to establish plants for assemblage of cars, it is possible that Iranian companies in the automotive sector will also be thinking about coming over to Nigeria to establish plants as well.

In agriculture, we produce about 120 to 130 million tons of produce annually. Iran ranks fourth in the world in fruits production. We rank very high in the production of various kinds of fruits. Fruits are very important in my country. For example, Iran’s export of the Pistachio fruits is valued at $1 billion annually.

Health is also a very important sector in my country. Many high tech drugs and pharmaceutical products can be produced in Iran. With regards to nuclear treatment, we can produce radiographic drugs for the treatment of health cases like cancer.

As for building materials, there are thousands of Iranian companies that specialise in building materials. For example, Iran ranks fourth in the world below China, Italy and Spain in the manufacture of tiles.

What is the purpose of this exhibition?

This exhibition is expected to open doors of opportunities for both Iranian and Nigerian companies and businesses. It will help to identify each other’s capacity in order to deepen trade relations between the two countries. Right now, Iranian companies do not know the opportunities available in Nigeria. And Nigeria is a very big market, especially with its big population and resources. This situation also applies to Nigerian businesses as they also know little about Iranian companies and the huge potential that the Iranian market offers. I believe that through this exhibition, a stronger connection will be fostered among the Iranian and Nigerian businesses. The exhibition will play a very key role in identifying the opportunities on both sides. I hope that as soon as possible we can have another exhibition in northern Nigeria.

Why should Nigerians and Nigerian companies come to the exhibition?

They should be coming to find business opportunities. I think that many Iranian products can compete favorably in terms of price and quality with other products in the Nigerian market. For instance, there are some products that when I compare them with the prices in Iran, it will be three times higher. And then I wonder why the Iranian product is absent in the Nigerian market. For example, in the food industry, the quality of Iranian food is far above international standards. Take dairy products for instance, it is a good area of investment for Iranian companies in Nigeria. The main reason why Nigerian businessmen should come for the exhibition is to find one part of the Iranian capacity for products and other business opportunities.

For Nigerian companies that want to travel to Iran and do business with Iranian companies, what is your advice to them?

This exhibition provides a window of opportunity for realistic assessment of  the capacity of each country. There are many international exhibitions that take place in Iran. Sometimes in one exhibition, there are more than 1,000 companies participating and most of these exhibitions are specialised. For example: Medicine, building, furniture and industry etc. If Nigerian businessmen visit my country during or after these exhibitions, within three to five days, they will get Iranian companies that are willing to partner with them. And the beginning of this serious relationship will even help to create a cultural balance between the two countries as their products cross to the different markets.

You know that many tourists, about four to five million, also visit Iran annually and most of them visit as medical tourists. Many of Iran’s neighbours like Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Iraq visit my country for medical reasons. This is because Iran can boast of high quality and affordable healthcare but unfortunately many Nigerians do not know this. They believe that Europe offers better healthcare. This is also a good area that the two countries can also explore to build their relationships.

Do you have any incentives for Nigerian businesses that want to do business with Iranian companies? Does the government of Iran have any incentives for Nigerian businesses willing to come do business in Iran?

Getting a visa to Iran as a business person is not difficult. Nigerian business men who want to travel to Iran for business purpose can travel to Iran easily. Iran is a big country. One can travel there either for business or for holiday. I hope that through this connection we are trying to establish between Iran and Nigeria through this exhibition, more awareness about the benefits of trade relations can be created. Iran is a very important country in the Middle East whereas Nigeria is in the same position in Africa, so I think we can have a good partnership.