President Muhammadu Buhari has assured
investors in France and other parts of the globe of his administration’s
commitment to provide a suitable business environment that will boost
economic activities and create jobs for the youths.
The President said his decision to
approach headlong the issue of insecurity within the early days of his
government was to ensure the safety of all citizens and guarantee
investment for both local and foreign investors.
He
stated this on Monday while addressing a gathering of investors at the
Nigeria-France presidential business forum which held at the
headquarters of the French Business Confederation in Paris.
Buhari explained that Nigeria and France
had a cordial trade partnership needed to promote a sustainable win-win
business relationship.
He recalled the long standing economic ties between the two countries which he said dated back to 1902 when the Compagnie Française de l’Afrique Occidentale set up a training programme in Lagos.
He assured the French business community
that his government would rebuild Nigeria into a competitive, virile
and productive economy “based on excellence, integrity, transparency,
accountability and respect for the rule of law.”
The President said, “It is a positive
development that today Nigeria is the largest trading partner with
France in Africa. But opportunities abound to greatly increase the
current $5bn annual trade volume and I fully agree with President
Hollande when he declared in February, 2014 in Abuja that trade volume
between both countries should double in four years.”
According to him, trade expansion is to cover critical areas such as agriculture, energy, automobile and skill development.
He said, “Today, many French companies
are happy to have flourishing businesses in Nigeria, opportunities
abound to greatly increase the $5bn annual trade volume between the two
countries.”
The President said, “Nigeria is now at a
new dawn to chart and reposition its destiny for greatness. We are
resolved and firmly determined to consolidate on industrialising Nigeria
and diversifying its economy into sectors such as agro-processing,
mining, manufacturing, petro-chemicals, food processing and textiles.”
President Buhari told the investors that
his government would spare no effort at sustaining Nigeria’s
credentials as the number one investment destination in Africa as well
as the country with the fourth highest investment returns in the world.
“Nigeria has what it takes to make a
breakthrough and there is more to Nigeria than oil. It is a blessed land
rich in agricultural and mineral resources coupled with skilled and
low-cost labour, large market, robust and competitive private sector,”
he added.
The President thanked the President of
the Movement of French Entrepreneurs, Mr. Pierre Gattaz and the
organisers of the France-Nigeria Business Forum for mobilising the
platform.
Earlier in his remarks, Gattaz had
indicated the interest of French businessmen in the Nigerian economy,
being the biggest in Africa.
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