By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa has harped on the need for Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to deepen economic cooperation through trust, transparency and greater diversification.
She made this call at the second edition of the Nigeria-Saudi Diaspora Investment and Tourism Exhibition, themed, “The Misconceptions, Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria Today”, in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa, according to a statement by Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head: Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NiDCOM, equally tagged the gathering as a vital forum for building mutual trust and sharing skills, knowledge, and innovative ideas.
Reaffirming that Nigeria is fully open for commercial enterprise, she highlighted vast untapped opportunities across hospitality, agriculture, tourism, logistics, trade, and healthcare.
The NiDCOM Chairman/Chief Executive Officer commended the organisers, Al-Yaro International Ltd., for their patriotism to Nigeria, in creating a platform that fosters brainstorming, networking and mutually beneficial investment opportunities between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Yakubu Gambo, Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, warned that misconceptions can hinder stronger ties and said sound policies, transparency and effective collaboration are needed to overcome such barriers.
Addressing bilateral challenges, Dr Yakubu Gambo, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, cautioned strongly that lingering misconceptions can hinder closer ties.
He stressed that robust policy frameworks and transparent collaboration are critical to overcoming these barriers, pointing to the natural synergy between Nigeria’s young workforce in technology, agriculture, healthcare, and the creative industries, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets in mining, agriculture, tourism, logistics, ICT, among others.
Engr. Ibrahim Usman, Head, Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Chamber of Commerce, stressed that relations between both countries should extend beyond Hajj and pilgrimage to stronger economic ties.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to eliminate commercial fraud and streamline transactions, calling for a major focus on the halal economy, particularly organic, export-standard agricultural goods.
Dr. Mansur Muhtar, former Vice President of the Islamic Development Bank, similarly encouraged investors to look past crude oil toward energy (particularly green energy), real estate, tourism, and sustainable agriculture.
He described ease-of-doing-business as a natural bridge between both nations and stressed that sustainability was essential to achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
Summing up the vision for the initiative, summit organiser Musa Yaro of Al-Yaro International Ltd. expressed confidence that the event would spark high-value collaborations.
He assured participants about the firm’s commitment to promoting Nigeria as a prime investment destination.
Yaro informed that the Summit’s second edition aims to host more than 100 exhibitors and 500 delegates.
He thanked the Federal Government, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinibu and NiDCOM for their backing, while expressing high hopes for the future of bilateral trade.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to organisations such as ARISE, Faiz Takaful, Vego Energy Solutions, TMDK Group, Zee Coffee, NiDCOM, and many more.
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