Shettima Woos Foreign Investors, Says Nigeria Ripe for Businesses to Thrive

*Witnesses signing of $2bn MoUs between NASENI, Chinese firms 

*Nigeria, China harbour seal contract on Lekki deep blue seaport

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday urged foreign investors to always consider Nigeria as a top investment destination, saying the country has never been this ripe for businesses to thrive.
Shettima, who is representing President Bola Tinubu, at the Belt And Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, also witnessed the signing of a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for new projects valued at $2 billion between the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and three Chinese partners.

The event also had the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Power, Works and other top government officials in attendance.
The deal formed part of the heaps and bounds of dividends Nigeria was reaping from the 3rd Belt And Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing, China.
Another $4 billion was the worth of letters of intent for new projects and investments.
This was just as the Federal Ministry of Works also signed an MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport contract at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.
Speaking on the occasion, Shettima who commended all stakeholders and their Chinese counterparts said Nigeria has never been this ripe and ready for businesses to thrive in.

According to him, with the painstaking efforts by the Tinubu administration to ensure a level playing ground for all investors following the removal of all bottlenecks, the coast was now clear for deepened economic and trade collaborations.
On his part, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, said the crystallisation of the agreements was a fulfilment of NASENI’s commitments towards boosting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) drive of the Tinubu administration.
According to him: “This is a very important day for us at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure because it is a day to show the results of some of the work that we have been doing in the last six weeks since I assumed the leadership of NASENI”.

The MoUs to partner NASENI for investments in Nigeria were listed in a statement by NASENI to include: Shanghai Launch Automotive Technical Co Ltd –  an MOU to establish a new energy automobile facility for the production of new energy electric vehicles; China Great Wall Industry Corporation – an MOU for the turnkey delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) assembly line projects, and Newway Power Technology Company Ltd – an MOU for the transfer of technology on lithium batteries, electric vehicles and allied technologies.

The 10 Chinese firms who presented Letters of Intent to the Vice President to pull together $4 billion in investments were TBEA (solar products); DongFeng Vehicles Co. (vehicle design and production) and HiLong Energy (CNG, LNG, methanol)
Others were Space Star Technology (Drone technology transfer); ENRIC (clean energy utilization technology); and Hidier Group (development of new industrial park), China State Construction Company (building technology and materials); CIMC (natural gas infrastructure delivery); Value Platform International Services Ltd (vocational training) and Acadia Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. (smart grids and microgrids).

During the signing of the MoU on the construction of the Deep Blue Sea Port at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said the  project was yet another indication that Nigeria still remains an industrial haven for many investors.
The event which was held at the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing later saw the Vice President meeting with several communications, tech, railway, power and construction giants.

They included the China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), China Railway Construction Corporation ( CRCC), China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC), HUAWEI Technologies, Senteng International Company Nigeria Limited, China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd.