From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima declared on Tuesday that Nigeria offers prime investment opportunities, crediting President Bola Tinubu’s reforms for resolving longstanding barriers to investors.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by an Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) delegation led by Hammad Hundal, Head of the IsDB Regional Hub, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima emphasised the government’s efforts to create a conducive business environment.
“It is an exciting opportunity to invest in Nigeria. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has created the enabling environment and is still doing so by addressing most of the grey areas that hitherto served as a disincentive,” Shettima said, according to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha. He highlighted reforms in human capital development, nutrition, agriculture, health, education, and digital trade as evidence of the administration’s commitment to critical sectors.
Shettima stressed the urgency of these reforms, stating, “This administration is poised to address the challenges that we have in key areas of human capital development, financial inclusion, infrastructure and nutrition. In fact, we have no option but to address most of these issues, and we will continue to act in the right direction.”
He praised the Nigeria-IsDB partnership as rooted in national interest and urged deeper collaboration on initiatives like the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ), i-DICE project, and Halal economy development.
“I urge closer collaboration to enable us to address some of these challenges,” Shettima said, calling for IsDB support in agriculture, gender inclusion, education, health infrastructure, and nutrition, aligning with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Hammad Hundal reaffirmed IsDB’s commitment to scaling up interventions in Nigeria through a revised Country Engagement Framework (CEF). “We are committed to scaling up our intervention through a holistic review of our Country Engagement Framework in Nigeria to prioritise key aspects of the agenda of President Tinubu,” Hundal said, citing economic infrastructure, private sector support, energy security, and i-DICE as focus areas.
IsDB Country Economist Obioma Asuzu presented the CEF, noting its objectives of boosting recovery, tackling poverty, building resilience, and driving green economic growth, aligned with Nigeria’s priorities and partnerships.
The meeting follows Tinubu’s broader reforms, including tax system changes and energy sector liberalisation, which have stabilised the economy, with inflation dropping to 32.7% in April 2025 and crude oil production reaching 1.8 million barrels per day.
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