By Iyiola Olalere
The Democratic Front (TDF) has described President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to France as a crucial and rewarding drive, which will help the growth of the country’s emerging and developing economy.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Wale Adedayo, TDF consequently commended the President for making the drive for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) the focus of his 3-day visit.
It said: “We carefully reminisced on the history of state visits by successive Nigerian leaders from 1999 till date, and our assessment revealed that no Nigerian leader or government within the period, made Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) the focal point of those visits like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exhibited in the last 18 months.
“His call on the French business community to increase their investments in food security, solid minerals, and other sectors in Nigeria is consistent with his clarion calls and craving for investors in all the foreign countries he has visited before his latest visit to France.
“It is with profound admiration and appreciation that we laud the President’s innovative and dexterous wisdom in creating a unit of a special business delegation from among his official entourage, to track, locate, and negotiate with top-notch investors, whenever he arrives in a host country, while he attends to the schedules of state visits and bilateral cooperation.
“We are glad to note that this novel strategy by the President resulted in the $2.5 billion livestock investment deal from JBS during his recent trip to Brazil.
“The heartening aspect of the investment wooing posture of President Tinubu’s foreign policy is the generation of over $30 billion foreign investment commitment from India, China, Saudi-Arabia and Brazil since assuming office in May 2023.
“We are of the expectation that the volume of foreign capital inflow that the President would attract to the economy in the next 2 years, will put Nigeria in a leading economic position in Africa, ahead of South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.
“It is heartwarming that the commitments obtained from a significant number of companies and investors in France during his state visit will benefit Nigeria in the areas of agriculture, security, education, youth engagement, technology innovation and the transfer of energy.
“For us, President Tinubu’s investment wooing state visit to France is a timely necessity needed to stimulate and accelerate the ongoing reforms in the economy, towards achieving a $1 trillion economy of his dream”
TDF added that President Tinubu is proving that he was well prepared for the job with the manner by which he turns state visits into economic diplomatic missions
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