FG Establishes Investment Councils With Six Countries

As part of renewed efforts to make Nigeria the preferred investment destination and a manufacturing hub for sub-Saharan Africa, the federal government has established trade investment councils in six countries across the globe.

The six countries are Australia, Canada, China, UK, India and the USA.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, penultimate week made this disclosure in Rivers State.

Aganga said that the new initiative would act as a vehicle to channel big,transformative investments into the country and strengthen its position in the global market place.

He said: “ To enhance the level and quality of foreign direct investment, we have created trade and investment desks in Nigeria’s main embassies across the globe. We have also agreed with the relevant authorities to make it possible for genuine investors to get multiple entry visas in their home countries or visas at the point of entry.

“Our strategy is to make Nigeria the hub of investments in Africa. And to be able to fast-track this process, we have started with the inauguration of the Australia-Nigeria Trade and Investment Council in Australia during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia last month.

The minister said that the federal government has identified the holes to be plugged in the quest for an investor-friendly environment and his ministry? has commenced an investment climate reform programme, working with the Department for International Development and the World Bank to create an investment ecosystem that would? match that of the top economies globally.