Riyadh, Nov. 12, 2023: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said all negative perceptions about doing business in Nigeria would be removed.
The president stated this during a meeting with the Captains of the Saudi Arabian Industry at the Nigeria-Saudi Investment Roundtable.
He said that with the new cabinet members, Nigeria was now ready for business, adding that these were parts of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Tinubu said that the new administration was tackling headlong the wrong notions with respect to the ease of doing business, monetary policy, and trade cooperation.
“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 easily out. The arbitrage around our nation’s old foreign exchange policy regime and the corruption that was associated with it is also gone.
“We took on those bold endeavours 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,” the President said.
Saudi Arabia’s Trade and Investment Minister, Khalid El-Falih, said that after listening to the President speak about what was possible between the two nations, Nigerians could expect that the Saudi investment community would respond with new investments across several sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“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 could further contribute to the soft infrastructural reforms needed to unlock game-changing quantum of foreign direct investment in Nigeria.
“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 standard to enhance Nigeria’s economic and investment viability over the long-term,” he said.
Chairman of Dangote Industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, told the Saudi investors that Nigeria, under the leadership of Tinubu, would be seen in the world as a foremost global investment haven.
“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.”
At the Investor Roundtable were dozens of Chief Executive Officers from several Saudi conglomerates specialising in construction, finance, new and traditional energy, healthcare, agriculture and electric power.
Others present were mining, aviation, telecommunications, creative arts, and hospitality and made their exploratory proposals to the president on areas of tangible collaboration.
Responsing Tinubu said: “I have listened to all of you very intently, and I am not only impressed, but I am determined to be your partner in progress and prosperity. Nigeria will reward your faith. Our people are ready, and we will not disappoint.”
The Nigerian government delegation comprised the 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.
Others are the 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 of the Chairman of Dangote Industries, Alhaji Aliko 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.
