Fourteen Nigerian governors have arrived Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) ahead of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), starting Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The AIM meeting is being organised by the UAE Ministry of Economy will end on March 31, 2022.
The gathering is expected to witness a highly engaging interaction, which is to be anchored on behalf of the Nigerian governors by the Emirates foreign ministry of foreign affairs and international corporation headed by Sheik Abdallah and assisted by Walid of AIM.
This is the outcome of a month-long deliberation between the chairman of the NGF, John Kayode Fayemi, and His Excellency, Ambassador Abdallah, who personally gave his commitment to ensuring a direct interface between Nigerian governors and strong business corporations in the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement by the Head of Media and Information at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, “Beginning from Tuesday, AIM global leaders debate. Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu will have a business to government meeting with SALIC at the investment hub in Dubai.
“Ikpeazu will also meet with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Markaz, Elite Agro, and Sharaf Group Investment. He is also expected to grace the AIM startup adware’s to acquire a comparative advantage with startup companies in Abia State.
“Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, who has already been in Dubai since Saturday, will be meeting with El Sewedy Electric. In another business to government meeting also facilitated by Dubai foreign ministry, Diri will be meeting AMEA power and he will also be at the humanitarian summit among other meetings. Governor Diri will finalise his activities by attending the closing ceremony and Dubai declaration of the World Investment Forum.”
The statement added that the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, who is seeking $184 million investment into his state by first meeting AIM’s high-level networking group is expected to commence the high-level business meeting. He is concentrating on presenting his state’s potential as an agricultural industrial processing zone, where it is expected that huge sums will be ploughed into agriculture infrastructure.
The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, is also expected to arrive in Dubai Tuesday, where he is expected to marshal out plans on investments in the Sokoto State cement industry, livestock production, housing construction, medical facility, equipment among others. This improvement will attract $388 million into Sokoto State.
The chairman of NGF, Fayemi, who has been at the forefront of this arrangement and worked side by side with the foreign ministry in Dubai and the AIM management team will arrive Tuesday to join the Global leaders’ debate and grand opening ceremony.
Nine other governors will be pitching their states in two presentations each before selected international business personalities, who have indicated willingness to bring foreign direct investments into Nigeria within the shortest possible time. These activities are being coordinated by a team from the NGF led by the Executive Director, Research, and Strategy, Dr. Abdulateef Shittu.
At least 74 potential UAE investors have signified intentions to engage with the delegations from the 14 Nigerian states.
They include the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, African Development Bank, National Marine Dredging Company, Amea Power, MENA Infrastructure, Islamic Development Bank, Al Ain Farms, Strata manufacturing, TVM Capital Healthcare, Dubai Investments, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Mubadala, Gazprom Bank, Jumeirah Group, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Group, the Saudi Fund for Development, VTB Capital, MENA Tech Fund, among others.