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Denmark has signaled a strong interest in expanding its economic footprint in Enugu State, expressing a willingness to collaborate on key sectors that promise mutual benefits. The European nation emphasized its commitment to fostering business partnerships that could drive economic growth in the region.
This commitment was reiterated by Denmark, a member of the European Union, when a high-level delegation comprising government officials and Danish business leaders, led by Jette Bjerrum, the Consul General of the Royal Danish Embassy in Nigeria, met with Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, at Government House, Enugu, on Monday.
Bjerrum, who also serves as the Head of Trade at the Danish Embassy in Nigeria, stated that Denmark’s interest in Enugu was driven by shared values with the state government, including transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. She also cited Governor Mbah’s speech at an event in Lagos as a key factor in strengthening their resolve to explore business opportunities in the state.
Bjerrum emphasized that Enugu State stands as a testament to the positive developments unfolding in Nigeria, challenging the prevailing negative generalizations about the country.
She strongly refuted the prevailing negative generalizations about Nigeria, insisting that Enugu State is a clear example of the positive strides being made in the country. She pointed out that the state’s ongoing development serves as evidence that good things are still happening in Nigeria.
“People Google all the bad stories, but we want them to know the good stories too; to say this (Enugu State) is also Nigeria, and this is where good people build trust and work with transparency, accountability, and traceability.
“I am here to understand what is important for Enugu. They (Denmark and Enugu State) have similarities. Transparency, accountability and transformation are importantvaluesforEnugu. Theyare alsoimportantvaluesforDenmark. Inclusion, diversity and equality at all levels for everybody also.
“What we hear as music from the governor is the focus on children, the focus on our young people. The Smart School initiative, which is really impressive. The agriculture value chain. The waste and the waste to energy transformation. All the logistics initiatives that are going on. The international airport, the cargo space and the healthcare projects that are also being driven by the Governor. We are really impressed.
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“We now need to be fast because things really move fast here in Enugu. We are here to figure out how we can help to improve on them more. We have Danish companies here. We have the group that is supplying the first tractors. We have a new tractor assembly centre. So, how do we get more Danish companies to come here, establish themselves and work together with Enugu citizens? That’s why we’re here,” she stated.
“We come from a country of waste to power, wind and solar energy. We know you cannot do it in a day, but we would like to know how to support the process, and then capacity building.
“The low hanging fruits will be in agriculture because that is what we do. That will also include logistics and so forth,” she concluded.
Speaking, Governor Mbah restated his government’s commitment to not only create a business-friendly environment, but to also de-risk investment, encourage investors through offtakes, noting that the visit by the Danish delegation was a major boost for his administration’s effort to grow the state’s economy sevenfold to the tune of $30 billion in the next six years.