The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the weekend disclosed that Nigeria attracted $10 billion investment during the first half of the year.
Although investment announcements are not actual investments, they indicate investors’ interest in Nigeria.
Osinbajo made the disclosure in an address he delivered during the Forbes Best of Africa award ceremony organised virtually by the Foreign Investment Network (FIN) in collaboration with Forbes, where three Nigerians were among recipients of the award.
The event was captioned, ‘FIN Leadership and Philanthropy Roundtable Discussion and Forbes Best of Africa Award.’
The Vice President said: “Nigeria is open for business and its investment climate is improving. Nigeria recorded an investment announcement in the first half of 2021 of $10.1 billion, an increase of 100 per cent compared with the year 2020.
“Investors in China, Morocco and the UK are making strong commitment and this administration is working tirelessly to ensure that these commitments turn into projects to positively affect our nations.”
Osinbajo, who was represented at the event by the Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebanjo, expressed delight to have identified with the award ceremony, saying it was an opportunity to celebrate the best of Africa’s exemplary leaders in commerce and industry.
The Nigerian recipients of the award were the Pastor of the Church on the Rock, Rev. Paul Adefarasin; Group Executive Chairman of Mahtari Group and Founder of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, and the Founder and Executive Chairman of OIS, also known as Online Integrated Solutions Limited, Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu.
Adefarasin received the Forbes ‘Best of Africa Most Influential Personality of Year 2021,’ award, while Ekeh won the Forbes ‘Best of Africa Leading Tech’ award. Similarly, Ahmadu emerged the winner of the ‘Best of Africa Corporate Vision Leadership’ award.