The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in collaboration with the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, today launched the inaugural session of the Nigeria–U.S. Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP) Working Group Forum in Abuja.
The forum brought together high-level government representatives, including Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister, FMITI; U.S. Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr.; and Mrs. Gertrude Orji, Director, Investment Promotion Department, who represented Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, Permanent Secretary, FMITI. Also in attendance was Julie LeBlanc, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce.
In her remarks, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole emphasized the importance of the CIP initiative as a tool for unlocking trade and investment potential, tackling non-tariff barriers, and creating meaningful employment.
She commended the technical teams from both countries for laying a solid foundation for implementation, affirming that the partnership will catalyse regulatory reform, private sector engagement, innovation, and inclusive economic growth across agriculture, the digital economy, and infrastructure.
U.S. Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr. described the CIP as one of the key priorities of his tenure, underscoring the United States’ strong commitment to enhancing bilateral commercial relations and fostering shared prosperity.
Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Gertrude Orji, Director Investment Promotion Department (FMITI) reaffirmed FMITI’s full commitment to advancing the CIP objectives and deepening Nigeria’s economic ties with the United States through constructive dialogue, investor engagement, and joint policy efforts.
Background
The Nigeria–U.S. Commercial and Investment Partnership stems from the evolution of the 2017 Nigeria–U.S. Commercial and Investment Dialogue. In 2023, the dialogue was restructured into a more agile, implementation-focused framework—CIP—designed to enable dynamic business-to-business, government-to-business, and government-to-government engagement. The newly launched Working Groups will function as platforms to identify policy bottlenecks, stimulate innovation, and accelerate sector-specific cooperation in agriculture, digital trade, and infrastructure.
Signed
Dr Adebayo Thomas
Director
Press & Public Relations
adebayo.thomas@fmiti.gov.ng
bayo_thomas@yahoo.com
24th June,2025
