Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms are creating new investment openings and restoring investor confidence in Nigeria, assuring foreign partners of the administration’s commitment to economic stability and transparency.
Shettima made the remarks while receiving a delegation of the Abu Dhabi–Beijing investment consortium, Advanced Energy Partners (AEP), led by former Senator Abu Ibrahim, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“There is no better time to invest in Nigeria,” the Vice President said, insisting that the government’s policy direction has put the country “on the path of sustainable development.”
He said the administration has implemented key interventions aimed at improving the business climate and unlocking opportunities across the energy sector, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing.
“You have invested your trust in the right nation. Nigeria is ready for business. We have crossed the Rubicon,” Shettima told the delegation, adding that the country’s natural resources and human capital position it as a top destination for global investment.
Senator Abu Ibrahim, leader of the consortium, said the team was in Nigeria to identify large-scale investment prospects, particularly in the upstream oil and gas industry.
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Also speaking, the Vice President of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), QIANG Wenyu, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to expanding operations in Nigeria. He noted that the visit follows an earlier engagement with President Tinubu in Beijing in September 2024.
Wenyu outlined NORINCO’s areas of focus—including oil and gas, defence industries, mining, and energy—and disclosed that the state-owned corporation recorded a turnover of $30 billion last year.
In her remarks, CEO of Horizon Energy Abu Dhabi, Mahra Rashed Al Suwaidi, praised the Tinubu administration, attributing the consortium’s renewed interest in Nigeria to the government’s policy direction and the leadership of key institutions such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Musabbeh Al Shamsi, urged the consortium to accelerate investment decisions, describing Nigeria as “the right place” and highlighting strengthened bilateral relations under the current administration. He noted that non-oil trade between both countries reached $4.3 billion in 2024.
Other attendees included AEP CEO Shakiru Olayinka; AEP’s Abiye Membere; Hu Keyu of China Zhenhua Oil Corporation; Xu Yongfeng of Beijing Auxin Chemical Technology Corporation; and Liang Hongda of NORINCO’s Africa Department.
