AS PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan embarks on a working visit to Switzerland and Ethiopia on Monday to attend engagements in Geneva and Davos, he will be devoting his time and energy to drawing the attention of the members of the international business community to Nigeria’s immense investment potentials.
According to a Presidential Villa release, signed by Dr. Reuben Abati and made available to the press on Sunday, the president will be at a meeting with the Eminent Persons Group where he will speak on Nigeria’s Transformation Agenda in Geneva on Tuesday as part of his plan to lead a drive to attract greater foreign expertise and capital to boost government’s efforts to rapidly modernize and transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Members of the Eminent Persons Group include Microsoft boss and renowned philanthropist, Mr. Bill Gates, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Kofi Annan, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, the President of the Africa Development Bank, Mr. Donald Kaberuka and the Chairman of the Del Monte Produce Group, Mr. Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh.
On Wendnesday, Mr. Jonathan will use the occasion of a special session of the annual meeting of the world’s leading businessmen and industrialists at the World Economic Forum in Davos to promote new incentives for investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector targeted at attracting international support for the establishment of a much more successful and profitable agro-allied industry in the country.
The session will also focus on ongoing policy and institutional reforms in the sector, the establishments of staple crop processing zones and medium to long term financing options for agriculture in Nigeria.
President Jonathan will be accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adewunmi Adesina, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
The president is also scheduled to host a private session with representatives of leading multinational companies under the auspices of the Business Interactive Group on Nigeria.
The President will also use the occasion of his participation in special sessions of the World Economic Forum titled “De-Risking Africa” and “Africa’s Promise” to draw fresh global attention to the great opportunities which ongoing reforms and deregulation, privatization and commercialization of former public sector monopolies have opened up for willing investors in key sectors of the Nigerian economy such as oil and gas, power supply, communications, transportation and agriculture.
Other engagements of the President include meetings with the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Norway, the President of Costa Rica and the Chief Executive Officers of the Huawei Technologies Company, Total and Coca-Cola Worldwide on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
After departing Switzerland on Friday, he will attend the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa where he will confer with other African leaders on action to resolve the boundary dispute between Sudan and South Sudan. The restoration of peace, security, political stability and normalcy to Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will also be addressed.