Nigeria, a safe haven for foreign investors – Bagudu

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, says Nigeria is a safe haven for foreign investors to take advantage of.

The minister said this during a press briefing at the end of the 2023 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said, “Nigeria is an investment haven for investors, despite being faced with some challenges that President Bola Tinubu is currently working on, and the result will show soon.”

Bagudu said that despite the country’s challenges, the government remained resilient and was taking thriving economic activities to all parts of the country.

“Nigerians are very resilient people. That we can gather the private sector to talk about putting money in Nigeria is a statement of resilience.

“I can read an online statement about a state and decide that I may never go there, but people live there and earn a living.

“Investments, particularly by the private sector, is a statement that we believe in our economy, and these investments help us to dominate our environment.

“There are many places we had cases of insecurity where people were afraid, but today, economic activity is resuming, and people are being reintegrated with various programmes,” he said.

According to him, many countries have come out better and stronger after experiencing Nigeria’s type of hardship.

Bagudu also assured that Tinubu had a good budget plan for the country.

Mr Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), said that the summit was held annually for the benefit and growth of the country.

“The summit, which is an annual event, has continued to yield great benefits in terms of influencing implementable policies.

“Policies like the removal of fuel subsidy, the passing into law of the Petroleum Industry Act, among others, were birthed from previous summits,” he said.

Yusuf said that plans were ongoing to replicate the summit and successes at the sub-national levels.

He said that the expected outcome of the summit was a public declaration by the president that his administration was ready to work with the private sector.

He challenged the private sector to come up with ideas, recommendations, and solutions.

“There will still be the National Economic Summit in Abuja, but we will work with the governor’s forum to have regional summits at the sub-national level.

“We should look more at the positive side and appreciate the challenges. We must recognise and celebrate the successes,” he said.

Yusuf commended the declaration of the president’s commitment to work in partnership with the private sector for national and economic growth.