Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday said his administration is determined to make Nigeria Africa’s premier investment destination.
This is as he held high-level talks with two of the country’s most prominent global investment leaders — Hakeem Belo-Osagie of Metis Capital and Bayo Ogunlesi of Global Infrastructure Partners & BlackRock.
Speaking after the Lagos meeting, President Tinubu emphasised the urgency of attracting large-scale capital into Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector and critical infrastructure projects, which he described as the backbone of long-term growth.
“We agreed on the urgency of unlocking large-scale investments in upstream oil & gas and critical infrastructure to drive Nigeria’s long-term growth,” the President said.
He noted that Nigeria remains open for partnerships with credible global investors, particularly Nigerians in the diaspora who have built influence in international finance and energy markets.
“Nigeria remains ready to partner with credible global investors, especially our sons of the soil and Nigerians in the diaspora, to deliver energy security and modern infrastructure that powers prosperity across Africa,” Tinubu declared.
The President highlighted his administration’s ongoing reforms in the energy and investment landscape, stressing that the measures were already creating an enabling environment to attract sustainable financing and global capital.
“Our administration’s reforms are creating a better enabling environment whilst opening new frontiers for sustainable financing, global capital, and transformative projects,” he explained.
“We are determined to make Nigeria Africa’s premier investment destination.”
The meeting with Belo-Osagie and Ogunlesi is viewed as part of Tinubu’s broader drive to harness both local and diaspora financial expertise in repositioning Nigeria’s energy and infrastructure sectors, which remain critical to the country’s competitiveness in Africa and globally.
The presence of Ogunlesi, whose Global Infrastructure Partners was recently acquired by BlackRock, and Belo-Osagie, a long-standing figure in Nigeria’s financial sector, signals rising confidence among investors in Nigeria’s reform agenda.
