1st January 2025.
HAPPY & PROSPEROUS 2025
I write on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce to wish you a prosperous and happy new year. 2025 marks 25 years of remarkable strides by your chamber. We have grown just like the proverbial mustard seed. With your keenness and unflagging support, the journey has been remarkable, recording growth spurts, facing the challenges that came with the global COVID-19 pandemic, and rebounding slowly but steadily.
We salute the vision of our forebears and leaders on whose shoulders we stand: Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR, our patron and inaugural chairman; Mr Foluso Phillips and Mr. Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, SAN, our past chairmen and able captains of our ship, who have demonstrated uncommon foresight and adeptly steered it by charting the right direction. We have weathered the storms with some of our expectations met and some unmet. With a solid foundation laid, we need all hands to be on deck to build our chamber to become a great force for good.
Our gratitude especially goes to our member companies that have their representatives on our Board and the Executive Committee (EXCO). Their commitment and relentless support made the recorded progress possible, and we are counting on more members to join committees that would provide platforms geared towards the achievement of our overarching goal. Together, we shall win.
There is no doubt that we have all faced fierce challenges as corporate organizations and as individuals during the past year. We all have parts to play in charting the right course for our two countries. We would work together with key stakeholders to strengthen the bilateral ties between Nigeria and South Africa by playing to our diverse strengths. We are well endowed in human and material resources, and the onus lies on us as well-informed and pragmatic advocates to work together with policymakers and other stakeholders to position our continent for sustainable growth and development.
I believe we should unravel the cultural, historical, and geographic ties, for therein lie the fundamentals for the economic ties in ‘win-win’ collaborations and partnerships that we seek. We appreciate the immense cooperation we receive from the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Thami Mseleku, and the Consulate-General, Prof. Bobby J. Moroe. The recent trip of our President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to South Africa and his meeting with his counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission have undoubtedly yielded fruits that we are poised to harvest.
As we reflect on our twenty-five-year-old journey, I thank you most sincerely for electing me as the 4th president to lead your chamber. I am also indebted to you for re-electing our focused and versatile Vice president, Mr. Ajibola Olomola. Now is the time to learn, unlearn, relearn, retool, and gird our loins for the remarkable journey that promises to be exciting and rewarding.
We are counting on your unreserved involvement in making your dreams come true through the Chambers.
Have a wonderful time with your family.
Happy New Year.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Ije Jidenma, FNIM, FCIPM, DF.CIoD