Washington DC — The Emir of Kano, Mohammadu Sanusi 11, yesterday described as unacceptable, the attitude of Nigerian ministers and governors who were billed to speak at a special function to attract investors to the country at the Nigerian house in Washington.
The event, the US- Nigeria Investment Summit 2018, was organized by the Nigerian embassy in conjunction with a private firm. The occasion which was tagged, "Nigeria is open for Business" was designed to bring under one roof, decision makers from Nigeria, United States officials, entrepreneurs, investors, chief executive officers of renowned corporation and their representatives, the academia and other interested individuals and groups.
The emir, who spoke with reporters after the session on Private Equity and Financing, chaired by Nigerian business man, Mohammed Indimi, Chairman/CEO Oriental Energy Resource, expressed disappointed at the lack of interest exhibited by the Nigerian officials towards the event.
The programme of event indicated that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Petroleum: Ibe Kwachukwu, Agriculture; Audu Ogbeh, Science and Technology; Ogbonnaya Onu, Information; Lai Mohammed, Solid Minerals Development; Kayode Fayemi and Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, were all billed to address the gathering.
But none of the ministers had showed up as at lunch time when over 50 per cent of them should have spoken.
Our reporter saw the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Ameachi, whose name did not appear on the itinerary, but he disappeared after a few minutes.
Emir Sanusi said: "We had a meeting today with investors, we were supposed to start by 9am and we started at 10. When I came in they took me to the ambassadors office to sit down, when investors were waiting down there. We had a list of people who were to be there, vice president, minsters, some of them are in town, but they didn't come. You invite top investors, your ministers are in Washington and they do not come to talk to the investors about Nigeria. That is not how you attract investors", he said.
The event had in attendance, Secretary Wilbur Ross, United State Secretary of Commerce, Sergio Pimenta, IFC Regional Vice President ( Middle East and Africa), Winslow Sargent SVP, ICSB, Makhtar Diop V.P for Afri, World Bank, C.D Glin, President and CEO, U.S African Development Foundation ((USADF) among others.
