Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for London today to participate in the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit holding on Monday, January 20, 2020.
He will be accompanied by Governors Yahaya Bello, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya and Okezie Ikpeazu of Kogi, Gombe and Abia states respectively.
Also on the entourage are Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement said the summit hosted by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, would bring together African leaders, international business chief executives and heads of international organisations to create new partnerships that will deliver more investments and jobs to the benefit of people and businesses in African countries and the United Kingdom.
Adesina said apart from highlighting new perspectives on UK-Africa Partnership for Prosperity, issues of Sustainable Finance and Infrastructure; Trade and Investment; Future African Growth Sectors and Clean Energy and Climate, are expected to dominate presentations and discussions during the Summit.
With the expected take-off of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in mid-2020, the London investment summit will provide Nigeria with the opportunity to project itself as a leading investment destination for new industries..
In addition, the summit will deepen Nigeria-United Kingdom investment ties post-Brexit given that Africa currently represents just two per cent of British trade activity, with Nigeria accounting for only 10 per cent of that total.