Bill Gates, Dangote to speak at NIEPF as Nigeria seeks to boost foreign investment

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson says the federal government in collaboration with Africa Business Roundtable is set to organise the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF).

Shehu made the announcement in a statement on Sunday.

He said the forum will hold in New York, United States, on September 22, 2022, on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly taking place in the American city.

According to him, the NIEPF is an avenue to draw the presence of world leaders in politics, economy, media as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) and international media to focus on the vast economic potentials of Nigeria and Africa’s leading economy.

He added that the event was in a bid to further open up the country’s economy to international capital and attract foreign investment.

“The NIEPF will bring together top Nigerian government functionaries as well as renowned and  highly respected global  public and private sector players rubbing minds on Nigeria’s economic outlook, focusing on  Nigeria in the global economy; and international partnership for Nigeria on the development drive,” Shehu said.

“In view of the wide spectrum of personalities attending the forum, there will be cluster thematic sessions on; growing Nigeria’s agriculture for food security and access to export market with special focus on impact of the Russia-Ukraine war which presents opportunities for G7/G20-Nigeria partnerships in agriculture.

“Also, scaling up international resources for financing education in Africa with emphasis on making facilities to link government, deal sponsors and international pools of capital in education; Nigeria’s oil and gas sector: reforms, results and the road focusing on scaling up investment into the gas market—plants, parks, cylinders, reinjection.

“Other issues slated for discussion include: scaling up international resources for healthcare in Africa bordering on: upgrading and expanding nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure towards making nigeria the “healthcare hub” for Africa; climate change and paths to clean environment with emphasis on paths to clean economy, clean energy and clean development;

”And financing nigeria’s infrastructure with emphasis on developing infrastructures such as farm to market corridor, farm to ports corridor, export transport corridor, raillway network, road network upgrade and expansion, airport upgrade, including dedicated airports for exports, power generation, transmission and distribution.

Shehu also said President Muhammadu Buhari will deliver the keynote address at the event as he focuses on issues that need joint action for African countries on the development drive such as the post COVID-19 recovery and financing priorities; Africa’s investment climate and market as well as de-risking the continent.

According to the the spokesperson, expected speakers and panelists at the event include; Aliko Dangote, president, Dangote Group; Bill Gates, co-founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Satya Nadella, chairman business council of the United States and chief executive officer, Microsoft Corp, Antony Blinken, secretary of state of the United States. 

Others are; Florie Liser, president of the corporate council on Africa, and members of the business council of international understanding; Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs,  Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning; John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate; Abdul Samad Rabiu, executive chairman of BUA Group, and also the president of the France-Nigeria Business Council

The rest include, Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation; Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank; and Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary general of the United Nations.