Bangladesh wins ‘Best Foreign Participant Award’ in Kaduna International Trade Fair
The Bangladesh High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria has participated in the Kaduna International Trade Fair—organized by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture—for the first time. The event took place between March 29 and April 7, 2019.
Dr. Okechukwu Enyinna Enelama, minister for Industry, Trade and Investments of Nigeria, inaugurated the fair on March 29, 2019. Md Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh high commissioner to Nigeria was present—along with diplomats from other countries, local dignitaries, and the business leaders—at the inaugural ceremony which marked the 40th yearly event.
In line with the present government’s emphasis on “economic diplomacy,” Bangladesh’s mission put up a large stall with its own collection of exportables. Bangladesh’s stall received the Best Foreign Participant Award, and a crest was handed over, ceremonially, on the concluding day, by Mr. Abidul Yazid, patron of the trade fair.
Pharmaceuticals, ceramics, jute and leather products, RMG and knitwear, tea, jute leaf tea, electrical appliances, light engineering, plastic and melamine products, spice & curry powder, pickles, food items, snacks, pearl items, saris (muslin, silk), nakshi kantha, handicrafts, among others, were on display; these drew huge crowds each day.
The High Commission is in the process of launching a commercial display centre at the chancery soon, to showcase exportables to the visitors and Nigeria’s potential importers and investors.
Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, appointed by the Africa Union (AU) as the chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of its peace fund
Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, the finance minister of Nigeria, was on March 21 [2019], appointed by the Africa Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of its peace fund.
This Day reports that the board is made of five members drawn from each region of the continent. The board also has non-African members (United Nations and European Union) as international partners. According to the report, the finance minister represents the Western African sub-region on the board.
The report quoted a statement by the special adviser to the minister on media and communications, Paul Ella Abechi, as saying Ahmed expressed appreciation and commitment towards achieving the agenda of the special fund. Accordingly, it was learnt that the protocol relating to the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) provides for the establishment of a special fund to be known as the “peace fund”. This fund comes with the objective of providing the necessary financial resources for peace support missions and other operational activities related to it in Africa. According to the report, the peace fund is meant for the prevention and management of conflicts, and the promotion of peace in Africa.