The mayor of Houston in U.S. Texas, Sylvester Turner, says he wants direct flight relations between the city and Nigeria to ease trade and investment engagements.

Mr Turner, who led a delegation on a working visit to Nigeria, said this on Monday at a dinner organised to host the visiting team in Abuja.

The dinner was jointly organised by Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).

The mayor said a member of his delegation would meet with relevant authorities in Nigeria to discuss and work out how the flight agreement could be accomplished.

According to him, the provision of direct flight would bring an end to having two or three stopovers when flying from Houston to Nigeria.

“The flight agreement will bring about trade and investment because it will provide opportunity for people to engage in businesses. We do need to increase trade between Nigeria and the city of Houston for growth and development,” Mr Turner stated. “We have more Nigerians in the U.S. and Nigeria is the economic engine room of Africa.”

The mayor added, “Our trade and investment relations need to be stronger. That is why we brought a large delegation to build on it.’’

The NCAC director-general, Olusegun Runsewe, stated that the direct flight agreement between Houston and Nigeria would create employment and reduce crimes in the country.

Mr Runsewe noted that the emergence of President Bola Tinubu as the chairman of the authority of heads of state and government of the ECOWAS had opened doors for improved trade and investment in the country.

The NiDCOM chair, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the mayor’s trade and investment mission visit to Nigeria was commendable, stressing that Nigerians are hospitable.

He urged the delegation to visit the Point of No Return in Badagry, Lagos, where slaves were shipped to an unknown destination during the colonial slave trade regime.

(NAN)