Nigeria’s President Says Country Is Open For Business

The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has expressed the government’s readiness to collaborate with foreign investors, saying that the Nigerian economy is a very fertile ground for investors especially with ongoing programmes and initiatives of the government.

He said that the government’s policies, aimed at boosting the economy, had helped businesses to flourish in the nation that had been listed among the next world economic powers – Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey (MINT).

After a Wednesday session on ‘Africa’s Next Billion’ at the ongoing World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos-Klosters Switzerland, President Jonathan spoke on current policies in the industrial sector which he said would be consolidated on.

President Jonathan believes the World Economic Forum on Africa that would be hosted by Nigeria would expose the enormous opportunities in Nigeria’s business environment.

He said that the backward integration policy of the government had helped the Daogote Group boost its cement production.

“Three years back, we were a net importer of cement. We were producing only 2 million metric tonnes of cement, with a demand level of 18 million metric tonnes of cement.

“Now we are producing above 20 million metric tonnes over a three years programme because of the government policies. We are creating similar programme in terms of rice and sugar,” the president said.

“Nigeria would expose the Nigerian business environment to the world and equally expose the rest of Africa at the World Economic Forum on Africa,” he stressed.