By Morenikeji Amole
Presentations across a broad spectrum of trade and investment issues were made at the maiden edition of the Africa Trade and Investment Summit held in Lagos on Thursday, February 1.
At the summit, the Gombe state government urged investors and development partners to explore more business investment opportunities and partnerships in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Magaji, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Nasiru Aliyu represented Governor Muhammadu Yahaya at the event, organised by the BusinessesDay Newspaper.
The Summit came just a day after Governor Yahaya engaged diverse investors and stock brokers at the Nigeria Exchange ( NGX) where he indicated interest in sourcing 30 billion Naira Green Bonds to consolidate his various development projects, especially the eco-friendly ones.
Magaji said the forum provided an opportunity for consolidating Gombe’s position as the best investment destination in Nigeria, having won the Best in the Ease of Doing Business for two consecutive times.
Among the organisations they engaged in discussion, was the Dubai Chambers, with the Country representative, Irene Oyarekhua informing the Gombe delegates of her chamber’s upcoming events in Abuja and also indicating interest to partake in GoInvest2.0 taking place in November this year.
Themed, ‘Reimagining Economic Growth in Africa’, the summit drew participants from all over the world albeit in a hybrid format, and was declared open by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Kashim Shettima, who was represented by Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on Enabling Business Environment.
Oduwole highlighted the disadvantaged position that the African continent occupies in global world trade. He called for an overhaul and upgrades of infrastructure as a panacea for driving more trade and investment traffic to the continent.
Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala presented a keynote address while Enoh T Ebong, Director of the U.S Trade Development Agency USDA reeled out the benefits that can be derived from her agency and at the same time intimated the summit of her agency’s engagement in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and South Africa.
The event was also attended by the Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi who used the occasion to promote the potential of his state. Also in attendance were members of the diplomatic community from China, Germany, United Kingdom, Egypt Kenya, and South korea among others.
