Twitter office: Nigeria overtook South Africa by $2.6b FDI under Buhari – APC replies PDP

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has replied the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticism over the decision of Twitter to open its Regional office for Africa in Ghana, saying that under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Nigeria has overtaken South Africa by $2.6 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Recall that the PDP had yesterday criticised the ruling APC, saying that the misrule of President Buhari Government has forced Twitter to locate their Africa regional office to Ghana, rather than Nigeria which used to be the biggest economy in Africa under the PDP administration led by Goodluck Jonathan.

However, in a statement issued yesterday by the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the party said Nigeria, as Africa’s Biggest Economy, remains a top investment destination.

The statement said “Flowing from a statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), our response to Twitter’s decision to cite its African operations in Ghana is simple. The decision or rationale of private concerns, particularly businesses on where to cite their operations are their exclusive preserve. It is a no issue!

“However, for the PDP that mocks the country and its citizens over what it celebrates as missed “business prospects”, such political party does not mean well for the country and should definitely not be considered as a governance option.

“It is exhausting and depressing highlighting PDP’s ignominious past. The APC will rather consolidate and focus on how Nigeria is finally getting it right under President Muhammadu Buhari.”

It asked how come what the PDP termed the “present misrule” did not stop multinational technology companies like Facebook and Google from opening offices in Nigeria, and also did not stop the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev and multinational food manufacturing giants, Kellogg’s from establishing their multi-billion Naira brewery and factory in Nigeria.

APC said “Despite uncertainties over the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria earned $2.6billion of the global volume of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), surpassing major competitor South Africa ($2.5b), according to the latest 2020 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Investment Trends Monitor.

“Nigeria’s current status as Africa’s largest economy was achieved under the President Buhari-led APC administration and our industrious citizens are the ultimate beneficiaries.”

It said Nigeria is doing a lot through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) which was set up by this administration to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria and the ongoing implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), pointing out that Nigeria is on the right trajectory and the PDP cannot wish away these solid achievements.

“Finally, we use this opportunity to remind Twitter and other frontline social media platforms of their important responsibilities to curb fakenews, disinformation and hate speech.

“In the last US presidential election, the proactive roles played by social media operators in checking fake news and divisive rhetoric is a solid pointer to how proper social media usage ultimately benefits society. We expect no less in Nigeria from social media operators”, the statement said.