From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday night in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, started negotiations the Islamic Development Bank concerning a multi-billion dollar infrastructure finance facility to fund a multi-sectoral portfolio of infrastructure projects at the federal and sub-national levels in Nigeria.
The development, according to a statement by presidency spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, was the outcome of substantive investment discussions held between President Tinubu and the Vice-President (Country Programmes) of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Mansur Muhtar.
“Nigeria is the candle of hope that will light the way for Africa. And once Africa is illuminated, the world will be a brighter place for all humanity. We are determined to create a future for our gifted youths. Investments in Nigeria will be among the world’s most high-yielding. Investor money will flow easily in and out of our country. Processes will be seamless and your bank has always been a faithful partner in progress.
“We have serious deficits in port infrastructure, power infrastructure, and agro-allied facilities that will enable sustainable food security in our country. These deficits present unrivaled opportunity for savvy investors in a market that is by far the largest on the continent. Yes, we had the vision to enable Lekki Deep Seaport before others saw it. We must be bold again.
“We inherited serious liabilities, but also assets from our predecessors. We do not make any excuses. There are several sectors replete with investment opportunity for smart investors. Access to finance and guarantees can be a hindrance in some cases. You can come in there. We see you as a critical enabler. You have partnered with us before. We want to scale it up now and do much more with greater ambition and clear vision,” he stated.
The president thanked the Islamic Development Bank management, and pledged the unwavering commitment of his administration to win investors’ trust and confidence, just as he did in Lagos State many years ago.
The vice president of the Islamic Development Bank noted that the financial world had been keeping an eye on events in Nigeria, and had come to the conclusion that the continent’s largest economy was serious about doing business this time, highlighting the historic significance of President Tinubu’s rapid and decisive economic changes.
“Mr. President, we know you inherited a very tough set of circumstances. It is to your credit that you have taken very bold steps without delay. We are ready to work with you. We are ready to support big investments in Nigeria. We agree that if Nigeria succeeds, Africa succeeds. And the world needs Africa to succeed. The Islamic Development Bank President announced the provision of $50 billion of new investment for the African continent from the Arab Coordination Group (ACG). This was announced at the Saudi-Arabian-African Economic Summit. As the largest market and the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria will certainly receive a significant share. We look forward to supporting Nigeria’s economic transformation,” he said.