Increase in trade between Nigeria and Taiwan and student exchange programmes are two major focus of Lin Yi-Min, Taiwanese new head of trade mission in Nigeria.
Yi-Min agenda is a buildup on Andy Yih-Ping Liu, former Representative and Head of Mission of the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria who pushed to deepen economic and people-to-people ties between Nigeria and Taiwan.
Yi-Min’s focus comes against the backdrop that trade between both countries is low at about $200 million yearly, while only about 100 Nigerian students are studying in Taiwan, a country of technology, AI and GDP of about $900 billion.
He told BusinessDay recently that he is facilitating Taiwan business delegation to Nigeria in next month, made up of investors and manufacturers and technology experts, to meet with the Nigerian business community to discuss areas of trade enhancement.
Nigeria exports more of agricultural products to Taiwan, a democratic country of about 24 million and technologically advanced, while Nigerians import automotive parts, motorcycles and EVs from Taiwan.
For Yi- Min, Nigeria with a population of about 230 million, is an important market in Africa for the far East Asian country as Nigeria stands to benefit from Taiwanese expertise in technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and other knowledge-intensive sectors.
Previous engagements between business delegates from both sides have centred on identifying opportunities to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations.
For the students’ exchanges, the new Trade representative who said he will discuss this opportunity with relevant authorities said students can study social sciences and other courses.
Yi-Min who increased Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan from 10,000 to 45,000 when he served as trade representative in that country between 2022 and 2026, said he wants to replicate the same model for Nigerian students.
“I want the people in Nigeria to know more about Taiwan by trade, by investment. I also want to bring in Taiwanese students to come here. With more understanding, they will try to keep a really good relationship with Taiwan and Nigeria and how that relationship can be beneficial to both countries. I want people on both sides to enjoy the benefit of good relationship between the two countries, ” he told BusinessDay in Lagos.
It is believed that with more Nigerian students in Taiwanese universities, the opportunity could expose them to technology, research and entrepreneurial skills, while Taiwanese students in Nigerian tertiary institutions can gain insights of Nigerian culture and markets.
Such exchanges in future are expected to open business networking opportunities which will benefit both countries.
