Chinese government invites PHCCIMA for business talks

The Chinese Government has invited the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) for business talks in China, which is another plus in the chamber’s rising profile, since it gained international acclaim, becoming the first Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria to be invited by the World Chamber of Commerce (WCC) for a competition in Italy.

According to PHCCIMA’s incoming president, Eni Membere-Otaji, the chamber has become a beautiful bride to the world business community.

Business leaders, who spoke to BusinessDay, including bureaucrats in Rivers State, attributed the new confidence reposed by the international business community in PHCCIMA to the reformation and manner the chamber’s outgoing president, Emeka Unachukwu employed in running its affairs.

They commended what they described as “the new face of PHCCIMA,” and its objective to identify, analyze and disseminate the right business information at the right place, and at the right time, and holding members’ interest as paramount.

The invitation by the Chinese government was announced on the floor of the Chamber during its general meeting of June 2015 by the president, Emeka Unachukwu; saying: “This invitation comes in September. This is the first time any Chamber is given this honour in Nigeria.They are inviting us to China, and we are going as a delegation. I really want us to take this event seriously.”

Unachukwu told BusinessDay in an interview that the invitation was “in recognition of our contribution to the Chinese economy, and not long before now, on ad-hoc basis, we have been going to some cities in China on business mission. Those business missions were not like a del- egation. We just went there like every other businessman.

“But this time around, we have an invitation to come on a delegation, as investors in September,” he said.

He reeled out some advantages members of PHCCIMA would derive, and Nigeria as a whole from the business visit to China:  “If you go on an exhibition on your own, you may have credibility problem, even when you signed a company that you can partner with, But when you come as a business delegation, the hosts will see and believe that these are refined business people who they can trust and deal with,” Unachukwu said.

SABY ELEMBA, PORT HARCOURT