President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday assured investors and prospective investors in the country of his administration’s commitment and total support to reposition the nation’s economy.
Speaking while declaring open the first edition of the 2012 Oil and Gas Trade and Investment forum at Onne, Rivers state, President Jonathan said, the nation’s economy will soon be one of the leading economies of the world in the year 2020.
He noted that the initiative is part of his administration’s transformation agenda anchored on the belief that the private sector is the engine of economic growth and prime mover of the economic reform process.
Represented by the Rivers state governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF), Chibuike Amaechi, President Jonathan explained that government had come up with policies, plans and programmes geared towards the reduction or outright elimination of bottlenecks to business and investment through harmonisation of Nigeria’s trade procedures and documentations, promising to provide investment friendly environment.
He also expressed confidence in the capability, imagination and commitment of the operators of the Free Trade Zones to achieve the desired goal of putting the country among the top twenty economies in the world by the year 2020.
The president commended the Rivers state governor, the executive governors of the oil producing states as well as the federal ministry of trade and investment for the achievement and the success of Onne Free Trade Zone and for promoting Public-Private Partnership through collaboration and formation of strategic alliance.
President Jonathan noted that the event is part of activities lined up for the celebration of Nigeria’s independence anniversary scheduled to take place on 1 October which provides an opportunity to keep investors informed of government’s commitment to the implementation of economic reforms capable of changing the dynamics of the country.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga said, the oil and gas industry has continued to play a dominant role in the growth of the Nigerian economy, as it is central and strategic to defining transformation strategy for the national economy.
Mr Aganga, who expressed the federal government’s commitment to the free zone concept, noted that it is anchored on the effective framework of regulations and guidelines which delivers the best dividends to investors as well as the host economy.
The oil and gas free zone has attracted several investors into the zone and has created a total of 30,000 jobs from inception to date.
The federal government on its part has promised to remain focused and determined to ensure President Jonathan’s vision is realized.