Nigerian Governors in Dubai for Investment Drive

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Fourteen Nigerian governors have arrived Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) for an Annual Investment Meeting, starting tomorrow, March 29.

The gathering is expected to witness a highly engaging interaction, which is to be anchored on behalf of the Nigerian governors by the Emirates foreign ministry of foreign affairs and international corporation headed by Sheik Abdallah and assisted by Walid of AIM.

This is a product of a month-long interaction between the chairman of the NGF, John Kayode Fayemi, and His Excellency, Ambassador Abdallah, who personally gave his commitment to ensuring a direct interface between Nigerian governors and strong business conglomerates in the United Arab Emirates.

A statement by Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the Head of Media and Information at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), stated that, “Beginning from Tuesday, AIM global leaders debate. Abia State governor,  Okezie Ikpeazu will have a business to government meeting with SALIC at the investment hub in Dubai.

“Ikpeazu will also meet with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Markaz, Elite Agro, and Sharaf Group Investment. He is also expected to grace the AIM startup adware’s to acquire a comparative advantage with startup companies in Abia State.

“Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, who has already been in Dubai since Saturday, will be meeting with El  Sewedy Electric. In another business to government meeting also facilitated by Dubai foreign ministry, Diri will be meeting AMEA power and he will also be at the humanitarian summit among other meetings. Governor Diri will finalise his activities by attending the closing ceremony and Dubai declaration of the World Investment Forum.”

Also, the statement added that expected to commence high-level business to government investment quest is the Niger State Governor, Abubakar  Sani Bello, who is seeking  $184 million investment into his state by first meeting AIM’s high-level networking group. He is concentrating on presenting his state potential as an agricultural industrial processing zone, where it is expected that huge sums will be plowed into agriculture infrastructure.

The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, is also expected to arrive in Dubai Tuesday, where he is expected to ameliorate issues relating to the Sokoto State cement industry, livestock production, housing construction, and upliftment of construction of the state of the art medical facility, equipment, and ICT. This improvement in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and health will attract $388 million into Sokoto State.

The chairman of NGF, Fayemi, who has been at the forefront of this arrangement and worked side by side with the foreign ministry in Dubai and the AIM management team will arrive Tuesday to join the Global leaders’ debate and grand opening ceremony. He will be meeting with international business conglomerates in the national marine and dredging industry and will seize the opportunity to meet with Saudi Fund for development.

Nine other governors will be pitching their states in two presentations each before selected international business personalities, who have indicated willingness to bring foreign direct investments into Nigeria within the shortest possible time. These activities are being coordinated by a team from the NGF led by the Executive Director, Research, and Strategy, Dr. Abdulateef Shittu.

In promoting this business sojourn, the Director-General of the NGF,  Asishana Okauru,said, “I am convinced that this trio will be of immense benefits to the various states and Nigeria as a whole, because it is packed with content that will eventually translate into economic growth.”