Over 30 Tunisian companies prospecting Niger’s market

Tunis: Over thirty Tunisian companies are currently taking part in a business mission organised on May 4-9 in Niamey (Niger), at the initiative of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (French: UTICA)'s Association of Export Advisers and the Economic Interest Grouping (Tunisia-Niger Development), in collaboration with the Niger Ministry of Trade and Industry. Association of Export Advisers President Riadh Azaiez pointed out to TAP that these companies operate in various sectors of activity mainly agriculture, energy, banking, insurance and telecommunications, pharmaceutical industry, medical assistance agencies, digital technology, higher education, vocational training and public works. The main aim of this business mission is to improve the presence of Tunisian products in Niger and Nigerian products in Tunisia, and to promote exchanges of experts between the two countries, he added. "Its goal is to step up trade in goods and services between Tunisia and Niger, and to exploit inves tment opportunities in both countries, notably in agro-industrial value chains," explained Azaiez. Niger has a proven comparative advantage in a large number of agricultural products, including livestock and by-products (hides and skins, meat), and agricultural and market garden produce (onions, sesame seeds, groundnuts, gum arabic, peppers, etc.), the official pointed out. The Tunisian and Nigerien businessmen will discuss on the occasion ways to iron out remove the obstacles to the establishment of several Tunisian investors in Niamey, he indicated. The programme for this business mission includes the organisation of a Tunisian-Nigerian economic forum and B2B meetings, under the patronage of Niger's Minister of Trade and Industry Saidou Asmane. On this occasion, Tunisian business leaders will have on-site meetings with their Nigerian counterparts. Niger boasts more than 2,000 billion m3 of underground water and 19 million hectares of farmland, as well as vast pastoral areas. It has considerable potenti al, notably in agriculture, livestock farming, mining, oil and energy. In terms of trade, Niger imported around $10.191 million worth of products from Tunisia in 2022, mainly pasta, biscuits, buildings and bridges, iron works, medical and surgical instruments, etc. Exports from Niger to Tunisia amounted to $31,000. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse