THE immediate past President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Toki Mabogunje, has been appointed by the United Republic of Tanzania as the country’s first Honorary Consul in Lagos.
Mabogunje is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Naija Times.
In a statement, the Tanzanian High Commission in Abuja announced the appointment and fixed Thursday for the inauguration ceremony in Lagos.
The Tanzanian High Commissioner, Dr Benson Bana, explained that the government of Tanzania decided to increase the country’s presence in Nigeria beyond Abuja to Lagos, largely because Lagos State is the fifth-largest economy in Africa.
He expressed optimism that the country would benefit from the opening of the Lagos office and Mabogunje’s appointment.
He said, “The appointment of the honorary consul is one of the measures that the government of Tanzania is undertaking to strengthen and promote people-to-people and business-to-business relations, which, consequently, would take Tanzania and Nigeria’s bilateral ties to new and advanced levels.”
He added that the cordial diplomatic relationship between Tanzania and Nigeria dated back to pre-independence days, disclosing that Nigeria’s High Commission was opened in Tanzania in 1962 while Tanzania’s diplomatic mission to Nigeria was established in Lagos in 1971.
He explained further that the relationship between the two sister countries was deeply rooted in a mutually shared vision, which was nested in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, the principles of the African Union, the ideals of the commonwealth and the spirit of non-aligned movement.
Bana said he was optimistic that Mabogunje’s appointment would not only simplify consular services but would also propel economic diplomacy strategy, which was at the heart of Tanzania’s foreign policy.
According to the statement, the latest appointment is yet another affirmation of the excellence associated with the renowned business consultant, whose passion for Small and Medium Enterprises development has been acknowledged locally and overseas.
“Indeed, the world needs Mabogunje, as attested to by her becoming the current Vice Chair, Africa, World Chamber Federation at the ICC. Significantly, beyond Chamber activities,
Mabogunje, who has an LLM in International Law, has consulted for various international development organisations.
“The organisations include the World Bank, British Council, Department for International Development, International Labour Organisation, German International Aid Organisation, United States Aid Organisation and Center for International Private Enterprise, amongst others,” the statement noted.
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