Nigerian enterprises wish to boost tradecooperation with Vietnam as the country has become Nigeria ’sleading market in Southeast Asia .

President of the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce Oye Akinsemoyin said thisat a meeting of businesses of the two countries in Hanoi on April 16,adding that the African country wants to boost cooperation withVietnam in agriculture, small industry, post and telecom, andpharmaceutical manufacture.

Firstly, the Nigerian side wants Vietnamese enterprises to accelerateexports of rice and pharmaceuticals.

Addressing the meeting, a representative from the Vietnamese Ministry ofIndustry and Trade said that Vietnam considers Nigeria a marketwith great potential for expansion in Africa and a gateway for Vietnamto enter nearby countries in Western and Central Africa .

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, bilateral traderelations between the two countries have seen consecutive development inthe recent past, but have not matched the potential of the twocountries. In 2009, two-way trade between Vietnam and Nigeria wasover 100 million USD with Vietnam recording a trade surplus.

Vietnam exports electrical and electronic appliances, footwear,garments and textiles and fine arts and handicrafts to Nigerian andimports raw cashew nuts, fruits, cotton and minerals.

The meeting is part of activities for the Vietnam Expo 2010. Nigeriasent 17 enterprises to the expo./.