The Sun News On-line

The Federal Government says that 600 billion United States (US) dollars investment was needed in the next 12 years if the country would achieve its dream of being listed as one of the 20 most developed economies of the world.

Foreign Affairs Minister of State, Tijjani Kaura, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, when he received a team of nine investors known as the Zurich Nine, into the country.
The Minister, who noted that the administration of President Umar Yar’Adua was committed to the dream, said the team was in the country at the instance of the President, who invited them when he attended the 2008 Economic Forum in Zurich, Switzerland.

He pointed out that the invitation to the group to invest in the country indicated President Yar’Adua’s resolve to attain the required quantity of investment that would earn the country the dreamed economic status in the world.
Stating that the expectations of the country from the group was high, Kaura said there was a need for the group to cover specific and major sectors of the economy, in furtherance of the seven-point agenda of this administration.

The minister said there were friendly government policies, legislation and incentives for them to invest in the country, adding that there was also adequate security for their investments.
The team leader and President of Cercle Diplomatique Gene‘ve, Robert Blum, said they were in the country to support investments in several sectors and would work assiduously to strengthen the economy of the nation.