The relationship between Nigeria and Ankara, Turkey, according to the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), has the potential to generate over one million employment in the delivery of infrastructure and healthcare.
When Turquaz Health, a company that promotes health tourism, and Ankara Commerce Industry visited ACCI on Friday in search of potential collaboration, some team members from Turquaz Health made this statement. Dr. Sijuade Kayode, Vice-President, Commerce of ACCI.
The Turquaz health organisation, which provides a variety of healthcare solutions, is interested in bridging the gap in healthcare services between the two nations.
The relationship between Nigeria and Turkey, which Kayode recalled had its roots in the 1970s, would present a chance to gain more advantages.
He claimed that the government was courting its allies to work with it in a variety of fields, including infrastructure, healthcare, defence, and education.
According to Kayode, government creates the regulations and supportive atmosphere necessary for the private sector to flourish.
In order to increase employment and strengthen the economy, investments in infrastructure, health, and education are being considered.
“The collaboration, investments will produce roughly one million jobs; 500,000 jobs can be created annually in the infrastructure sector alone.
“You can generate a million jobs in the education sector from this. All the government needs to do is to create the enabling environment, policies, and funding that will enable the private sector to thrive.”
He asserts that the government can only generate 10% of the jobs required by society.
The ACCI delegation would visit Turkey in October to finalise the discussions and take additional steps, Kayode noted.
Vice Chief Executive Officer of Turquaz Health, Mr. Naci Tamer, stated that the company was interested in boosting health tourism as well as collaborating to offer knowledge in healthcare capacity and consulting services.
“ACCI cooperation can significantly strengthen economic ties between nations by fostering an environment that encourages business to explore opportunities and engage in cooperative ventures,” he declared.
It is possible to strengthen ties between Ankara, Turkey, and Abuja, Nigeria, by focusing on these areas.
Along with energy and infrastructure, ICT and innovation, cultural interaction, SME growth, and sustainable development were also named by Tamer as further potential areas of cooperation.
Instead of supporting medical travel, said Mrs. Victoria Achi, Director-General of ACCI, it would be profitable to foster local talent to lessen capital flight.
“Nigerians keep fleeing this nation for medical tourism; from the standpoint of the business community, healthcare in Nigeria offers a lot of profit, and that is capital flight.
This inspired us to get in touch with the Turkish and explore ways to increase our access to healthcare while sending money to Nigeria.
Because we have large hospitals in this area that can offer with the necessary equipment, we are considering collaborations and, ideally, investments, she said.
Achi said they were also looking for strategies to hire experts who would pay well and keep the nation’s health workers in-country since they were concerned about the departure of medical professionals.
She claims that medical tourism is a significant sector in Nigeria, when Nigerians fly abroad to receive treatment for common medical conditions.
According to Achi, “We are looking at working with Turkey to create health facilities while keeping the money in Nigeria in a shared prosperity manner.
Nigeria is a big country with vibrant people, according to Dr. Kolawole Owoka, Chairman of the Medical and Trade Industry Group in ACCI; all it required was infrastructure and an enabling environment.
Owoka added that they had also asked Turkey for investments to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare sector in lieu of trying to reverse the trend of medical tourism.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ACCI and the Turkish health team, along with Ankara Commerce Industry, was the event’s high point. (
