• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

Ignore Boko Haram, invest in Nigeria

November 11, 2011 by Admin Leave a Comment

Written by Ifeanyi Onuba

Nigerian Map

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday asked foreign investors to ignore the menace of Boko Haram and invest in the country.  He also gave the security agencies a pass mark in the fight against terrorism.

He said, “Nigeria experienced 30 months of civil war and we were able to survive that crisis. Anybody who doesn’t want to come and invest in Nigeria now because of the activities of Boko Haram would simply regret it because this is very temporary.

“Every country has security challenges, even in America; it’s just that terrorist activities are new in Nigeria. Before now, we had challenges of assassination and armed robbery and those are the kinds of crimes that we were dealing with. But for terrorism, we are acquiring the relevant infrastructure to combat it and I assure you that we will solve the problem.”

Jonathan  spoke at a gathering of select  businessmen during the Presidential dialogue with global chief executive officers at the 17th Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja.

Panellists at the presidential dialogue included  the Global Head, JP Morgan International Public Sector Group, Daniel Zelikow; Executive Vice-President, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Izumi Kobayashi; and President, General Electric, Africa, Jay Ireland.

Others are President, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director, Procter and Gamble West Africa, Manoj Kumar; Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Sifiso Dabengwa; and Vice- President, Shell, Sub Saharan Africa, Ian Craig.

Addressing the issue of the violent Islamic sect vis-a-vis security challenges in the country, Jonathan told his audience, “The issue of Boko Haram that we are experiencing today is not peculiar to Nigeria because most countries of the world have one form of terrorist attack (or the other).

“These are temporary challenges that we have, but let me reassure Nigerians, and the world in general, that given the challenges that we have, the Nigerian Security Services have made progress in the fight against terrorism.

“Yes, we have the Boko Haram challenge now but (it is) just like the terrorist attacks in other countries. We are working on it and it’s not like the government is not doing anything about it and I assure Nigerians that it’s only a temporary setback.”

Asked if the security situation in the country would not frustrate the Federal Government’s effort to attract investors, the President said,“The Nigeria Security Services have made progress in the fight against terrorism. You are aware that on October 1, last year, that there was a bomb blast and all the people that were involved in that bomb attack have been arrested”

Of recent the country’s security services have been heavily criticised for the increasing number of attacks carried out by the Islamic sect. The sect commenced a violent campaign of bombings against the government since 2009 and had killed over 750, including the 24 that died in the attack on the United Nations’ building in Abuja on August 26.

The President also dwelt on the removal of petroleum subsidy, stressing that it would help to correct the imbalance in the petroleum sector.

He said that the issue of subsidy removal was a developmental policy that should not be muddled with politics.

He submitted, “I know some key players in the economy, who before this time, were against subsidy. Now, they have brought politics into it. That is why I still appreciate people like General Muhammadu Buhari, who is the only person that said it clearly that the issue of subsidising petroleum products was a fraud. He did not play politics with development. So, it is not everybody that would have the mind of someone like General Buhari.

“I have told people that if we don’t deregulate now, in the next 10 to 15 years, this country will be importing petroleum products from Ghana, Chad, Niger, and even Cameroon. And these are countries that just discovered crude oil very recently.”

The President said that the controversy surrounding the SWF had been resolved with the state governors.

He said, “We initially had some challenges on the SWF with the states, but I spoke to the state governors that it is when the economy has a positive outlook that investors will come and invest.

“This administration has the political will to do it right. The money that is going to be saved in the SWF belongs to the federal and state governments, and if another president comes in after me, he won’t have any power to tamper with that fund.”

Also speaking at the dialogue, Dangote urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would help stimulate investment in agriculture, mining and petrochemicals. The sectors, according to him, have the capacity to outperform the petroleum industry in terms of revenue generation.

PUNCH NEWS

Filed Under: Archive Tagged With: Boko Haram

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin interviewed by ABC 13 EYEWITNESS NEWS HOUSTON on FBI releasing 2,500 documents of Nigerian president

September 20, 2023 By AFRIPOL

NADECO, where are you? (1) By abiodun KOMOLAFENADECO

September 19, 2023 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • Nigeria: Groups Urge Govt to Implement Its Women Empowerment Policy
    [Premium Times] The group urged the president to consider the implementation of the policy as a national strategy to "unlock the potential" of Nigerian women and ensure national growth and development.
  • Nigeria: Naira Appreciates At Forex Markets
    [Premium Times] The naira strengthened marginally against the dollar at the official market to close at N755.27/$1 on Friday
  • Nigeria: 3,000 Security Personnel Deployed to Abuja Ahead of Independence Day
    [Premium Times] The FCT NSCDC Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, directed the deployed officers and men to protect citizens alongside all national assets and infrastructure in the territory.
  • Nigeria: Mohbad - Court Holds Preliminary Sitting, Adjourns Till Oct 13 for Hearing
    [Daily Trust] The coroner inquest that is looking into the cause of death of 27-year-old IleriOluwa Oladimeji Aloba, known as MohBad, has agreed on the witnesses that will be called to give evidence in the matter.
  • Nigeria: Sidelined Bandit Kingpin 'Behind' Zamfara Varsity Abduction
    [Daily Trust] A sidelined bandit kingpin was responsible for the abduction of female students of Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State, it has emerged.
  • Zimbabwe: UAE and Zimbabwe Sign Groundbreaking ITMO-Based Conservation Agreement Over 7.5 Million Ha
    [263Chat] Harare - In a landmark development for climate action, the United Arab Emirates' Blue Carbon and the Government of Zimbabwe have joined forces to pioneer forest emission reduction projects under the Paris Agreement's Article 6 ITMO framework.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • Listen to what Imo Governor Uzodinma is telling the youths !
  • Ireland Gymnastics issues official apology for Black gymnast racism over medal passing over
  • Chiney Ogwumike: Nigerian American WNBA player named to President Biden’s council on African diplomacy
  • Nigeria: Towards A Precarious Democracy
  • Naira Sinks to 1,000 per Dollar in Nigeria 

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2023 · AFRIPOL