US pledges to continuously support Nigeria’s investment drive

The United States on Wednesday reaffirmed its conviction of the leadership role of Nigeria in the African continent, describing Nigeria as the largest democracy in Africa and pledging full support in the country’s investment push.

Speaking at the United States-Nigeria Infrastructure Conference: Building the Infrastructure for Nigeria;s Vision 20:2020, in Washington DC, Mr. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs,said with the nation’s vast human and natural resources coupled with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation drive, Nigeria stands a chance of becoming the economic hub of the world.

He maintained that due to the premium President Barack Obama placed on the strategic economic potentials of Nigeria, the US government “stands ready to work with Nigeria” and US-Nigeria investment drive into the country.

Mr. Carson who represented the US government at the event said that the government of his country would continue to improve on the Bi-national relationship it has with Nigeria by promoting trade and investment in the West African country.

Lending credence to Mr. Carson’s position, the Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Mr. Ade Adefuye, urged US businessmen to come to invest in Nigeria advising them to ignore claims of insecurity in Nigeria.

“When we privatised our telecoms, US firms shied away because of militancy in the Niger Delta and left the way for Europeans and South Africa and when you asked them today they will tell you what they have made. today, the government is opening up investments in power, Agriculture and Transport and this is the time for US investors to take up their positions in Nigeria,” he said.

The diplomat said “Let them not tell you about Boko Haram. The Nigerian Government is working hard to contain Boko Haram. If the government could contain Niger Delta militancy, then Boko Haram will soon be a thing of the past”.

He said “one thing we have in Nigeria is the size of the market. You cannot just beat the market and the Nigeria Government is also providing the market that is conducive”.

Emphasised the role of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC in wooing foreign investors to Nigeria in the areas of infrastructure, Agriculture, Power, Aviation saying “we want to diversify our economy to the non-oil sectors in order to ensure that the country achieve its objectives as regards Vision 2020. Nigeria is trying to diversifying in the areas of Agriculture, Communication, Power and others. Foreign investors should join hands with Nigeria to achieve its goals in these areas”

The President of the Corporate Council on Africa,the co-organisers of the conference Mr. Stephen Hayes, said that CCA would continue to create supports for Nigeria in the area of directing foreign investors to do their businesses in the country.

Mr. Stephen Hayes who said that he was sure that Nigeria would surely be one of the world’s economic giant in 2020, also hailed the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that such agenda should be supported for its motive to create good governance and human capital development.

 
Source: PointBlankNews