FG to France: Invest in our agro-allied industries, mining sector

By Miriam Humbe

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo has told the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Jarome Pasquier that it’s time to invest more in the country, especially in the area of Agro-Allied Industries, Mining Sector, Information Technology, Transportation and Energy among others.
Adebayo commended French Companies operating in Nigeria which has culminated into massive inflow of Foreign Direct Investment into the country, adding that this has contributed immensely in providing job opportunities to the Nigerian youth.
The Minister made this known when he recently hosted a working visit of the French official to his office in Abuja.
Adebayo further revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is doing a lot in the area of Ease of Doing Business (EODB) as well as improving in the World Bank’s ranking. He therefore urged France Companies to leverage on Nigeria’s investment opportunities to invest in the country.
“Government is creating a lot of Industrial Parks which France and other countries can further leverage on to improve economic ties with Nigeria”, he added.
Adebayo stressed that Nigeria has a very conducive investment climate which makes it one of the leading Countries that offer good opportunities and safety to foreign investors.
Earlier, the France Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Jarome Pasquier stated that Nigeria is one of the key trading partners to France and as such cannot afford not to further strengthen the business bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Amb. Pasquier disclosed that France is determined to woo more investors to Nigeria in order to take advantage of Nigeria’s economic diversification process and other infrastructural development such as; Development of Free Trade Zones, Agro-Industries, Livestock, Ranching Activities, Tropical Agriculture, Geographic Information with aim of Nigeria’s products getting international recognition.
He further disclosed that the France Minister of Trade will visit Nigeria with more France Companies in order to boost trade bilateral relationship between the two countries.