Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Blake Murray, and I am the Commercial Attaché with the U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria. On behalf of the United States Mission, I am honored to welcome you to the official launch of Cassona Global Imaging’s operations in Nigeria. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Cassona team as they establish their presence in Africa’s most dynamic and enterprising economy. I must commend the entire Cassona team for organizing this remarkable event. In a moment, we will hear from the CEO, Dr. John Chigbu, whose leadership and vision is positioning Cassona at the forefront of medical imaging innovation.
Cassona’s decision to invest and expand into Nigeria underscores the company’s keen understanding of the immense potential for transformative healthcare partnerships between our two countries. It also reflects confidence in Nigeria’s trajectory toward strengthened healthcare infrastructure and sustainable development. Efficient and resilient healthcare systems yield far-reaching benefits—improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, expanding equitable access, accelerating emergency response capabilities, and advancing disease prevention and control. As Nigeria continues to invest in modernizing its healthcare landscape, strategic partnerships with U.S. companies can serve as powerful accelerators. Nigerian firms and public institutions collaborating with U.S. medical suppliers, like Cassona, have access to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), cutting-edge technologies, world-class standards, and critical service and warranty support.
The United States remains a global leader in healthcare innovation—from robotic-assisted surgeries and precision medicine to AI-driven diagnostics that enhance patient care. Our commitment to Nigeria is rooted in mutual growth, and we aim to support trade and commercial policies that unlock bottlenecks to investment, foster a transparent business environment, and create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. In support of our broader commercial engagement, the U.S. Department of Commerce—together with Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment—is launching the U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP) next month. This Commercial and Investment Partnership signed between our two countries last year prioritizes collaboration across three key pillars: agriculture, the digital economy, and infrastructure including healthcare infrastructure.
We at the U.S. Mission are laser-focused on deepening our bilateral trade relations: last year two-way trade between the United States and Nigeria hit a record $13 billion. Our shared goal is to promote two-way investment and deepen commercial ties between our nations. U.S. healthcare companies have already made meaningful contributions to Nigeria’s medical sector advancing public-private initiatives and sharing best practices across a range of areas. These collaborations align closely with Nigeria’s strategic objectives—digital health transformation workforce development—and an ambitious drive toward Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
On behalf of the U.S. Commercial Service and the U.S Mission in Nigeria I’d like to thank you all for participating in today’s launch event The opportunities for collaboration between U S companiesand Nigerian institutions are immenseand I am look forwardto an exciting event Please let me introduce Mr John Chigbu CEOof Cassona
John Chigbu is "the CEO" "Chairman" "Board" "Cassona International," specializing "affordable refurbished medical equipment financing solutions" "healthcare facilities" "Sub-Saharan Africa." With over 25 years' experience international trade project finance corporate management Mr Chigbu previously served Tax Counsel Senior Tax Counsel General Counsel several Fortune 500 companies including Chevron (U S ) Business Objects (France) USA Inc The company commenced African operations August 2022 beginning Ghana expandingNigeria