“Leon Usigbe, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has informed Saudi Arabian investors that Nigeria, under his leadership, has moved away from the past regarding the ease of doing business. He is determined to eliminate every obstacle to the repatriation of funds by foreign business interests.
Speaking with the Captains of Saudi Arabian Industry at the Nigeria-Saudi Investment Roundtable in Riyadh on Saturday, he assured them that the previous perceptions about Nigeria, especially concerning monetary policy and trade cooperation, are no longer applicable. He firmly declared that Africa’s largest economy is “open for business.”
A statement issued by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale quoted him as saying: “I believe in this team that I have brought from Nigeria. When I took office, I declared the immediate commencement of bold and fundamental economic reforms. We have executed them, and we sustain the reform process. Today, I declare that red tape is gone!
“I believe in the full application of free-market economics. Your money will flow easily in and out. The arbitrage around our nation’s old foreign exchange policy regime and the corruption associated with it are also gone!
“We took on those bold endeavors from day one in preparation for serious investors like you seated here. The greatest opportunity for any entity to prosper lies in its human capital. My team is prepared. We can produce. Our market is full of Nigerian youths who are brilliant, highly educated, industrious, and passionate about innovation and engagement with world-class services.
“The navigation of the ship of this great nation lies in the membership seated here. We are ready to answer all of your questions directly, even into this night if need be. The sky is not just the limit, but it is the destination for our two countries and peoples.”
In his remarks, Saudi Arabia’s Trade and Investment Minister, Kahlid El-Falih, said Nigerians can expect that the Saudi investment community will respond not in words alone but with substantial new investments across several sectors of the Nigerian economy.
He added: “The Minister of Commerce and I will be visiting Nigeria either before the end of this year or very early next year with a very large delegation of Saudi CEOs from all key sectors. We know you are ready for business, so we do not want to come to Nigeria for any exploratory discussion. We are coming for implementation. It is an action visit.
“Mr. President, you agree with me that good intentions alone will not take us anywhere, so we will prepare well with your team and our investors will align with your officials, beginning now, to develop a concrete work plan of investments in the key sectors for takeoff when we meet again. When we meet soon in Abuja, it will be to sign and begin delivery on all agreements. We will also use the opportunity to formally inaugurate the Nigeria-Saudi Business Council.”
Saudi Arabia’s Commerce Minister, Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, previewed how Saudi Arabia can further contribute to the soft infrastructural reforms needed to unlock game-changing quantums of foreign direct investment in Nigeria.
He said: “We have signed an agreement with the World Economic Forum on the reform of the services sector in Africa. In developed economies, the services sector contributes enormously to GDP. But in the developing world, we tend to focus on goods.
“So, we would like to make Nigeria the pilot country in this agreement with WEF to study Nigeria’s service challenges to make it seamless and make the supply chains across sectors streamlined and raised to international standards to enhance Nigeria’s economic and investment viability over the long term.”
Chairman of Dangote Industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, told Saudi investors that Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, will be unearthed to the world as a foremost global investment haven.
According to him, “What I always say about Nigeria is that it is the world’s best-kept secret in terms of investments and returns. We are also looking to ensure that our investments are a two-way process.
“Nigerian companies have a lot of value to add to the Saudi economy, and we look forward to working together in expanding our Nigerian operations as well. The soon-coming launch of the Nigeria-Saudi Business Council will be a huge opportunity for both countries to expand on what has been established here.”
The statement informed that at the Investor Roundtable, dozens of Chief Executive Officers from several Saudi conglomerates specializing in construction, finance, new and traditional energy, healthcare, agriculture, electric power, mining, aviation, telecommunications, creative arts, and hospitality were present and made their exploratory pitches to President Tinubu on areas of tangible collaboration.
The Nigerian government delegation comprised the Executive Governors of Bauchi, Niger, and Katsina States; Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu; and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri.
The Nigerian business delegation comprised the Chairman of Dangote Industries, Dangote; Chairman of the Chagoury Group, Amb. Gilbert Chagoury; President of Flour Mills Nigeria, Mr. John Coumantaros; CEO of Oando Energy Company, Mr. Wale Tinubu and many others.”
