ASABA - With the deepening of the
privatization of state enterprises and investment in the development of critical
infrastructure, Nigeria now offers the best destination for investments in
Africa, Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has
said.
Speaking in London where he addressed British investors at the
Institute of Directors (IOD), Uduaghan said the Nigerian government has effected
a paradigm shift from reliance on crude oil as the driver of the
economy.
According to him, investment in power sector, agriculture and
manufacturing offer investors new vistas with yields that may not be obtainable
anywhere else.
He spoke in a keynote speech at an event marking the
Commonwealth Day Observance Service and the Nigerian Centenary celebration
Tuesday in London and asked British investors looking to invest in Africa to
come to Nigeria.
In Uduaghan's words, 'there are strong reasons for
anyone to invest in Nigeria at this time, because the country is a haven for
profitable investment.
'There is a bright future for Nigeria in terms of
investment.
The environment is right and is truly a destination for those
investors heading to Africa.
' Uduaghan who spoke on 'Perspectives on
Sustainable Development in Nigeria's Delta: The Delta Beyond Oil Initiative'
said while oil remained a major resource, 'we recognise its finite
characteristic and that dependence on it in the way we have done, since it
started to create wealth in the country would deny us other
opportunities.
' In a press release issued in London by the Delta State
Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, who accompanied Uduaghan on the
investment drive, the governor illustrated the concept of his Delta Beyond Oil
initiative which has become a template for the transformation of Nigeria's
economy.
The initiative is designed to harness the potentials in other
sectors of the economy to boost agriculture, boost small and medium scale
enterprises and create employment.
'We know that examples abound around
the world of countries that have tapped mainly human endowment to jump to the
front ranks of societies in the world.
The concept of Delta Beyond Oil
was harnessed to mobilise the citizens, statesmen, lawmakers, civil servants,
college professors, students, professionals, farmers and artisans that oil and
gas may be good for now, but the future belongs elsewhere in the powers of the
mind to generate wealth and well-being for ourselves and generations to
come.
' Uduaghan said his government is providing enabling environment
for investment in Delta State by focusing on infrastructure and human capital
development as well as peace and security.
He told British investors at
the meeting that the federal government has been of tremendous support to the
state as part of a drive to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the
country as a whole.
'The Federal Government of Nigeria working closely
with the Delta State Government is also building a multi-million dollar landing
jetty in Okwagbe, a community located along the tributaries of the River Niger
to support the state's transport infrastructure,' he explained.
He listed
one area where investors can partner with the state as tourism
sector.
According to Uduaghan, investors are now taking the advantage of
the peaceful environment in Delta State to invest in tourism.
'Following
our sustained drive in this area, a lot of tourism and hospitality industries
are now springing up in the state.
The biggest is the $240 million Delta
Leisure Park by a private investor in partnership with the state
government.
We are also encouraging medical tourism by improving on the
quality of secondary and tertiary hospitals just as we are encouraging private
investment in healthcare.
' The IOD Director General, Simon Walker
praised Uduaghan and other Nigerian leaders effort at repositioning the country
for the future, saying 'It has been remarkable one hundred years for
Nigeria.
It is befitting that during the centenary celebration we should
celebrate Nigeria's economic progress, the demography, the opportunities and the
challenges that Nigeria face.
I have no doubt that during this century we
will be talking about Nigeria as one of the largest economy of the
world.
I hope that our two countries can come together to take
advantage of these opportunities.
Also, Lord Watson of Richmond said, the
population of Nigeria and its diversity is what any investor should be concerned
with.
'When people think about Nigeria, they don't think about the past,
they focus entirely on its present.
That is of great importance.
The
population and diversity are source of strength for any nation.
Nigeria
and its dynamic growth and population are something that is in the mind of
everyone who thinks about Africa.
' He explored the relationship between
Nigeria and United Kingdom as good opportunity to consider by British investors
saying, 'our two nations are characterised by diversity.
There is always
a tension between diversity and unity, but the truth is we must tolerate each
other and move beyond tolerance to protection.
The Minister of Power,
Professor Chinedu Nebo who attended the event impressed the audience with the
strides that Nigeria is making in the power sector with the privatisation of the
electricity company.
He said that with the current investment in power
plants in the country by the government and the private sector, in a few months
the power generation and distribution in the country will make Nigeria the best
economy in Africa.
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