Nigerians Face Difficulties In India Despite their bilateral relations being at the level of a strategic partnership, problems related to the Nigerian community in India are dampening India’s relations with Nigeria, its largest trading partner in Africa. Nigerians are not allowed to start businesses in India even though Indians run restaurants and shops all over Nigeria, says Nigeria’s high commissioner to India. In an interview published in the Daily News of India, Mr. Amaku complained: “Indian immigration is not being too helpful in terms of arrivals of Nigerians in India. We facilitate Indians going to Nigeria”. “All over Nigeria, there are Indian restaurants and shops. But here, Nigerians are not allowed to start businesses. The regulations here are too stringent even for petty businesses,” the high commissioner told IANS in an interview. Amaku also pointed out that though Nigerian banks operate in many parts of the world, they haven’t been able to establish a foothold in India. “Nigerian’s living here are even unable to open an account, so how can they start a business,” Amaku asked, saying he regularly receives complaints from his compatriots living in India. The Nigerian community in India, spread over cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Jaipur is estimated to be around 10,000 strong. However, the actual numbers registered with the high commission are much lower and this partly explains the plight of Nigerians in India. Most of them are unable to start even small businesses like barber’s or food shops because of local laws. Many Nigerians in India end up overstaying their visas and unable to pay the penalty, fall into the clutches of the law or become easy prey for criminals. The Nigerian High Commission had brought this problem to the notice of the delegation of Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora which visited here last year. The visiting members of parliament were informed that more than 500 Nigerians were in various jails across India, while most Nigerians resident in India lacked special skills that could enable them to compete with local skilled manpower. India has a larger, law-abiding Nigerian community, some of whose retailing success stories here can be effective counters to its negative public image in India, the envoy said. The All-India Nigerian Students and Community Association, a non-official arm of the Nigerian embassy, helps members of the community living in India by liaising with local police. Official figures show that nearly 40,000 Nigerians obtained Indian visas in 2012. -Daily Trust
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:50:50 +0000
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