JOHANNESBURG - Camera and printer maker Canon said on Friday its president and CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa Yuichi Ishizuka would travel to Nigeria, reaffirming his commitment to the development of the business in West Africa after visiting Kenya, Egypt and Morocco earlier this year.
During the visit, Ishizuka will meet Canon's various business partners and some of its customers and familiarise himself better with the local economic environment and business circles.
"With a population of just over 190 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in the African region, however with 44 percent of its people being under the age of 15 this indicates great potential for the country’s future," the company said in a statement.
Nigeria, it said, was a key market for Canon Central and North Africa, a regional sales organisation formed in 2015 as a strategic step to enhance the company's operations within Africa and strengthen its in-country presence.
Canon said it had taken a proactive step to partner with Nollywood productions by providing technical support including the Canon EOS C300 Mark camera. Nollywood refers to the Nigerian film industry which produces up to 2,000 films per year, making it the second largest market in the world behind Hollywood.
“With the growing market for content-on-demand, Nigerian films are enjoying a flourishing and significant popularity, both in Africa and globally. Thanks to this sector, the whole world can experience the country in an authentic and vibrant way though Nollywood films," Ishizuka said.
"We are very proud to offer continuing support of the industry in its creative productions, some of which have been featured globally by Netflix! Canon also plans to penetrate other key verticals like the government, financial and oil & gas sectors."