The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geofrey Onyeama, has said that the ministry has drawn a template for the country to leverage on its international reach to grow the economy.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Information in Enugu on Monday, Onyeama said that the initiative was arrived at following a study of the economic challenges facing the country.

“The very dire economic circumstances which we find ourselves means that one of the most important pillars of this administration is to embark on job creation,” he said.

The minister said that the initiative involved the introduction of a match-making business database that would eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks in accessing international markets.

He said that the initiative would be carried out in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Trade, adding that the scheme would involve communities or individuals in international trade.

“The foreign affairs ministry will act as an interface between the local business community and players in the international scene.

“Our people will no longer go through all the red-tape capital intensive activities trying to get contacts in order to have access to the international market.

“With the database, you just upload what you want to sell no matter the size of your business and this will go into any country you want to export to,” he said.

Onyeama said that Nigeria had presence in 119 countries around the world “and we want to use that presence to the economic advantage of any small business person in the country”.

He said that the ministry would dedicate an officer in each of the embassies or foreign missions around the world to take charge of marketing such products or services.

“Such officers shall be responsible for facilitating products and services through constant contact with institutions that might need them. That way, your product will have immediate access to 119 countries,” he said.

The minister said that Nigerians could not afford to depend on the government all the time, adding that local investors needed to compete in the international markets.

He said that the initiative would also address issues surrounding the contribution of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the development of the country.

“We have all natural resources yet we are one of the poorest countries in the world and a lot of that has to do with bad governance,” he said.

Onyeama said that the uprightness of President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as well thought-out foreign policies had been behind the success of the anti-corruption crusade of the administration.

He said that the country needed a robust engagement with its neighbours and an understanding with the countries where loots by corrupt officials were stored.

“Our foreign policy has been good and the credibility of Mr President at the international scene has given credibility to the anti-corruption war,” Onyeama said