By Sunday Oyinloye, West Africa Editor.
Nigeria no doubt is one of the leading nations in Africa. It is blessed with enormous natural resources, some of which are still buried in the belly of the earth unutilized. For instance, much has not been heard about bitumen, which is lying fallow under the earth in Ondo State South West, Nigeria. Interestingly, some experts have argued that the bitumen deposit in Ondo State which remains untapped is enough to tar all the roads in Africa .The country also boasts of vast human resources. Ironically, millions of professionals have been lost to brain drain due to poor working condition and lack of motivation in their home country. Professionals who are poorly paid in Nigeria are highly priced in many advanced countries, thus they seek greener pasture abroad.
Nigeria’s frustration about brain drain was publicly expressed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in early 2014 during a Town Hall meeting with Nigerian citizens when he attended Nuclear and Security Summit in the Netherlands. His frustration and that of other Nigerians is understandable, a lot of people familiar with the wealth of Nigeria have argued that the country has no business being poor.
It is not by accident that Nigeria has remained a good bride of the Netherlands. The small but vibrant European country practically has dominion over Nigeria’s oil with Shell Petroleum, a Dutch company as a major player in the nation’s oil and gas industry.
However, relations between the Netherlands and Nigeria has being of mutual benefit with the Netherlands having the” upper hand’’. Nigeria practices mono-economy which makes the country depends heavily on oil for survival hence the strategic importance of Shell to Nigeria.
An appraisal of the two countries nevertheless shows that their relations go beyond oil, though oil is the backbone. The list of Dutch companies in Nigeria is long. From Heineken in the manufacturing sector to APM Terminal, one of the largest port and terminal operators in the world, it is therefore not surprising that Netherlands remains the most important trading partner of Nigeria in the Euro zone. It is on record that from 2003, trade volume between the two counties has witnessed steady growth. The steady growth is understandable; Nigeria-Netherlands Chambers of Commerce is one of the oldest in Nigeria. The Chamber encourages and facilitates bilateral trade between the two countries. It has also been working closely with the Embassy of Nigeria in The Hague to woo Dutch investors to Nigeria.
Trade between the Netherlands and Nigeria was N80.9 billion in the second quarter of 2015. The Dutch government is however looking beyond oil in its relations with Nigeria as it is working hard not only to grow Nigeria’s businesses but also to encourage its agricultural sector. Netherlands is reputed as one of the largest exporter of agricultural products in the world.
The Dutch Growth Fund is one of the strategies Netherlands is using to stimulate Nigerian economy. It is open for Nigerian businessmen and women to access. Michel Deelen, a top official of the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria in one of his interviews with Nigerian Media said Netherlands is focusing on Agriculture, infrastructure and water-related cooperation with Nigeria .
As the price of crude oil continues to slide in the International market and Nigerian government looks for alternative to oil, experts have suggested that the most populous country in Africa should seek the Dutch intervention in warehousing, logistics and transportation of agricultural produce that often rot away in farms across the country due to lack of storage facilities and food processing companies.
They also advised Nigeria to work closely with the Dutch reputed for their efficiency in water technology so that the water resources of the country could be fully utilized for agricultural purposes.
However, Netherlands has to do more in its economic relations with Nigeria because China has literally taken over Nigeria’s economy and turned the country into a dumping ground for its products because of ineffective government regulations on things that could be imported into the country. Economists have warned Nigeria to be wary of all manners of goods coming into the country from China, Netherlands, United Kingdom and other advanced nations because unguided importation could kill industrialization.
It is left to be seen whether the new government in Nigeria will take the bold initiative of turning Nigeria to a producing country from a consuming nation. If this is done, countries that have turned Nigeria to a dumping ground will probably have to look for another route. But for now, Nigeria remains a good bride of the Netherlands. Time will however tell how long the marriage will last.
