U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria, led by Julie LeBlanc, the Commercial Counselor and Blake Murray, the Commercial Attaché, hosted over 450 Nigerian companies for the Networking with the USA (NUSA) Awards and Business Networking Event at the Civic Center in Lagos.
The NUSA Appreciation Event is organized to honour Nigerian business owners who promote U.S. products and services and who have contributed significantly to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria – expansion of trade and investment between the United States and Nigeria.
Richard Mills, Jr., U.S. ambassador to Nigeria delivered recorded welcome remarks to the attendees, highlighting the robust U.S.-Nigeria trade and investment relationship.
In his remarks, Ambassador Mills thanked the Nigerian companies for being vital contributors in strengthening a strong economic relationship that continues to grow, noting that two-way trade reached $11.2 billion in 2023, up from $10.4 billion the prior year.
JoEllen Gorg, acting U.S. Consul General, delivered the keynote address of the day to the audience. She underscored the important contributions Nigerian companies are making to deepen the bilateral commercial relationship noting,
“The United States and Nigeria share a strong commercial relationship, and our NUSA network stands as a testament to our commitment to strengthening these ties and fostering economic growth.”
Attendees had the opportunity to review and reflect upon 2024 NUSA activities. Highlights of the year included leading 10 official Nigerian trade show delegations to the United States, 20 trade events that brought U.S. companies to Nigeria’s doorstep in Lagos and Abuja, and over 7,000 b2b meetings facilitated by the U.S. Commercial Service, among other high-visibility events.
These activities demonstrated the real impact NUSA members contribute to both economies.
The attendees also heard from two NUSA members and a U.S. company about how their relationship with the U.S. Commercial Service and attendance at trade shows and other events have had a lasting and profound impact on their businesses.
The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.
Its office in Nigeria, Commercial Service Nigeria, has the primary objective of opening market opportunities for U.S. and Nigerian businesses.
