As part of his participation at the first leg of the 2025 Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China, the President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, PhD, today led a high-level business delegation to Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, for a strategic engagement with the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province.
During the meeting, Chief Obegolu expressed deep appreciation for the warm reception by the Hunan authorities and commended the Department’s leadership in positioning the province as a dynamic hub for global commerce through progressive trade facilitation, investment promotion, and cross-border e-commerce initiatives.
He also acknowledged Hunan Province’s long-standing engagement with African economies, particularly through the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, which he described as a vital platform for strengthening Sino-African economic cooperation.
Chief Obegolu, SAN, PhD reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to furthering this relationship and highlighted the ACCI’s role in advancing inclusive economic growth, trade development, and global partnerships.
The ACCI President outlined the Chamber’s strategic focus areas, which include:
• The BEST Centre (for entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, and technology-driven training)
• The Dispute Resolution Centre (providing arbitration and mediation services)
• The Policy Advocacy Centre (promoting constructive public-private dialogue)
• The Abuja Trade Centre (driving trade fairs, business missions, and market access)
He was accompanied by Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, a former ACCI President and an experienced trade promoter with extensive networks across China.
Chief Obegolu, SAN, PhD who also serves as the leader of the Organised Private Sector in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, stated that the objectives of the visit are to deepen institutional cooperation with Hunan’s Department of Commerce, identify trade and investment synergies, and lay the foundation for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the partnership.
Priority areas for collaboration proposed by the ACCI President include:
• Enhancing access for Nigerian entrepreneurs and SMEs to Hunan’s trade and investment platforms
• Organising joint trade fairs in Abuja and Changsha
• Facilitating B2B engagements in key sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, ICT, and mining
• Promoting exchange programmes on entrepreneurship, digital trade, green technology, and industrial capacity building
Chief Obegolu, SAN, PhD, also extended a formal invitation to Hunan-based enterprises to participate in two upcoming flagship events in Nigeria:
I. The Abuja International Trade Fair in September 2025
II. The Farm Food and Allied Technology Expo (FARMFATECH), focused on agribusiness and food innovation.
He concluded by expressing optimism that the engagement would mark the beginning of a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship between Hunan Province and Nigeria’s private sector, grounded in shared prosperity and sustainable development.
Olayemi John-Mensah
ACCI Media & Strategy Officer
Photos
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