FOREIGN INVESTMENTS: FG URGED TO CREATE STABLE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT

By Bolaji Ajala
TO achieve economic prosperity and security of lives for Nigerians, the Federal Government needs to create an environment of stability for foreign and local investments as well as security for investors in order for them to reap the reward of their investments.

The chairman of GSI, an oil consulting firm, and a member of the Niger Delta Technical Committee, Dr Godswill Ihetu , gave this advice while enumerating some challenges confronting the country which has impede development.

Ihetu said that the federal government needs to encourage foreign and local investment in the country which is also important to development of the country.

'Foreigners are more comfortable coming to Nigeria to invest now than before and that is important because Development is really about creating jobs whether by foreign or local investors.  Foreign direct investment is improving in Nigeria and even the local people can see that the space is open up even to Nigerians in Diaspora.'

'I know there are millions of them, some are coming back to offer their services, to take up employment or to see what they can do. The biggest thing we need to do is to create an environment of stability, security that will allow all this things to flow to create an environment for investment and our nationals to feel that they can invest and reap the reward of their investment.'

The chairman advised that education is important to enhance economic prosperity, 'education is not about building universities, vocation education should be established, where people are taught skills whether skills as electricians, mechanic or a plumber in a proper environment of world class standard and not just people picking up skills on the road side.

'In those days we used to have what is called a trade center which produced skilled people that we have seemed to have lost.

We need to have more of those kind of institutions for world class skills and it is only when our people have world class skill that foreign companies and multinational companies can come here and set up companies knowing that we have skilled people who can be employed to be able to produce goods and services for exports to other counties.'

Ihetu further advised that Nigerian universities and government establishment needs foreign professors and foreign managers to give universal ideas and education.