The Executive Secretary, Hajiya Saratu Umar, said the move followed the commission’s commitment to increase national attractiveness and branding, as well as to position the nation as a preferred investment destination of choice.
She hinted that strategies for deepening investment drive and day-to-day problem solving for established and incoming investors are in place.
Umar spoke at the weekend during NIPC’s Stakeholder Engagement Forum/Business Dinner with the diplomatic community in Abuja.
According to her, the organisation recognises the diplomatic community as a critical stakeholder in investment promotion against the background that economic diplomacy is one of the mandates of diplomats.
She said: “Based on this mandate, not only do diplomats assist in delivering marketing messages to target groups of potential investors, they also manage relationships and provide them with relevant information to make informed investment decisions. This has equally aided reinvestment and retention of investors within the aftercare strategy.
“We thank the diplomatic community for this mutually beneficial service to both the host country, in this case, Nigeria, as well as to their home countries. We also acknowledge that diplomats and international development partners have successfully channelled views of investors about the investment climate of our great country, by working in tandem to meet mutually beneficial goals, especially through their support in policy advocacy.
“All of these remind us that investment promotion rests on good teamwork between the National Invest Promotion Agency (in this case NIPC), embassies/diplomatic missions and other stakeholders to ensure a win-win situation.”
Umar restated that Nigeria is a resource-rich country with great potential, stressing that the nation “is, indeed, a compelling investment haven, with opportunities too numerous to count.”
She continued: “The fact that these opportunities are yet to be fully harnessed presents an astounding opportunity for investment, and this brings on the role of investment promotion to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and mobilise Local Direct Investment (LDI) for mutual benefits to both the investor and their home countries on one side, as well as to Nigeria, on the other.
“The global FDI market over the last decade has become very competitive and versatile, where the investment promotion thrusts of successful jurisdictions with the largest global market share of FDI inflows are driven by effective, efficient and performance-driven Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs).
“With over 170 IPAs worldwide competing to channel FDI to their different countries, a compelling imperative is established that NIPC is positioned to ensure that Nigeria gets a fair share of this global market. The commencement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) also makes it imperative for Nigeria to enhance its investment promotion drive to remain the constant preferred investment destination of choice.”
The NIPC boss hoped that the forum would be beginning of a call to action to ensure collective action for mutual benefits that would firmly place Nigeria and other countries on path of sustainable prosperity for generations.
Also present at the event were Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, ambassadors, heads of missions to Nigeria, development partners and representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
