We’ll make Nigeria more attractive to foreign investors, says Jonathan

The volume of trade between Nigeria and China has increased tremendously in the last four years, it was learnt yesterday. 

The trade volume between the two countries now stands at about $7billion per annum from $3billion in 2006. 

Also, Nigeria and the Netherlands trade volume is said to have improved. Trade between the two countries has risen from about $2 Billion in 2006 to $4 billion. 

This was disclosed when the ambassadors of both countries had visited President Goodluck Jonathan. 

Meanwhile, President Jonathan has pledged his administration's determination to implement policies and programmes that will make Nigeria an attractive destination for foreign investors. 

Speaking at separate audiences with Mr Arie Van Der Wiel, outgoing Ambassador of China and the Netherlands Ambassador, President Jonathan said the Federal Government will do all it can to attract greater foreign investments to Nigeria because it was conscious of the fact that foreign investors will help to create more employment opportunities for the country's youths. 

“We having a growing population of young people and as a government, we have an enormous responsibility to plan and prepare for their future. Greater foreign investment will clearly help us in creating more gainful employment for our youths and we will do all we can to promote it,” Jonathan said.  

Welcoming the increased volume of bilateral trade between Nigeria, China and the Netherlands, the President said that Nigeria was now opening its doors to foreign investors more than ever before; adding that sectors of the economy such as aviation, power supply and the development of infrastructure, previously run by the government were now open to private investors from within and outside the country. 

He assured the outgoing ambassadors that his Administration was doing everything possible to deal with all outstanding domestic issues which could discourage foreign investors, saying that significant progress was being made in areas such as peace in the Niger Delta and power supply. 

Jonathan reiterated his commitment to good governance as well as free and fair elections in Nigeria next year; adding that steps will be taken to plug gaps in the electoral system, which made it difficult to conduct credible elections in the past. 

He thanked Ambassador Arie Van Der Wiel of the Netherlands and Ambassador Xu Jiango of  China for their efforts in the past four years to promote trade and co-operation between Nigeria and their respective countries, and wished them well at their new posts. 

Mr. Van der Wiel told the President that the volume of yearly trade between Nigeria and the Netherlands had risen from about $2billion currently. The volume of annual trade between Nigeria and China now stood at about $7billion per annum, up from $3 billion in 2006, Mr Jiango said