Stakeholders say collaboration is important in boosting investments and ensuring Nigeria’s growth.
They spoke at a Stakeholders ‘Engagement with Investment Promotion Agencies (SIPAs), organised by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) in Abuja.
The Executive Secretary of NIPC, Aisha Rimi, emphasised the Importance of strengthening relationship between the commission and the state investment agencies.
‘So the objectives today are to strengthen this relationship between NIPC and the State Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs).
‘To ensure a seamless coordination and alignment of efforts to attract investments across the country.
‘We want to strengthen and build the technical and institutional capacity of the IPAs to enable them to achieve set goals and objectives.
‘We want to be able to disseminate information about investment opportunities across the states, leveraging local knowledge to attract investors,” she said.
Rimi expressed the commission’s desire to address challenges and bottlenec
ks that hinder investment activities and find practical solutions to enhance the investment climate.
She said the meeting also aimed to foster strong relationships with stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), some of which were represented at the event.
To achieve these goals, Rimi said the commission designed the Nigerian Investment Certification Programme for States (NICPS) to ensure an efficient system in the states.
The executive secretary reiterated the importance of working to ensure we retained the investors already in Nigeria, especially considering the harsh business environment in the country.
Rimi urged the participants to use the opportunity to interact, network, listen to the various speakers, and find ways to drive investment in the country.
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Also speaking, the Director, Infrastructure and Public Private Partnership (PPP), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE), Dr Micheal Magaji, reiterated the importance
of collaboration to boost investment.
According to Magaji, reform is also critical to ensuring investment promotion in the country.
He said: ‘our engagement today underscores our commitment to fostering strong partnerships between the federal and state levels and between the public and private sectors.
‘We are here to listen, learn, and share our expertise, with the ultimate goal of driving sustainable development and economic growth across Nigeria.
‘Additionally, we use this opportunity to urge all states present at this engagement to take full advantage of this collaboration.’
According to the director, the benefits outlined above represent a glimpse of what can be achieved through our joint efforts.
‘We encourage you to engage with the Bureau. Leverage our expertise and unlock the full potential of your state’s assets.
‘Our doors are always open, and we are committed to supporting you in every step of this journey.
‘I look forward to our discussions and the innovative solutions emerging from this e
ngagement.
‘Together, we can continue to transform our states and, by extension, our nation into hubs of prosperity and progress,” he said.
Similarly, the Director, Investment Promotion, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Gertrude Orji, said the ministry was committed to keeping up with the NIPC’s mandate.
Orji, represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Amina Mohammed, said the event was critical to investment and pivotal to the country’s development.
Also, a representative of GIZ-SEDIN Programme, Abuja, Mr Akinropo Omaware, commended NIPC’s efforts in attracting and retaining investment in the country.
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Omaware said collaboration was key to strengthening the country’s investment climate.
He expressed the commitment of the organisation to support and drive investments in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that key stakeholders, government officials, and experts in the sub-sector attended
the event.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria