We need the presidency to adopt a guideline which makes it compulsory for Nigeria's president to take our leading pastorpreneurs with him whenever he is going on an international trip in search of foreign direct investment

Ayo Akinfe

[1] President Tinubu is currently in the Americas looking for foreign direct investment (FDI). From what I can see, he is hoping to attract finance capital from St Lucia and then get industrial investment from Brazil. I just hope he does not come back empty-handed

[2] One major flaw about this trip is the president's entourage. Whenever a nation's leader is going on such a trip, the calibre of people in his party are key. That could be the deciding factor as to whether FDI is got or not

[3] From what I can see, none of our industrialists like Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga, Rabiu, Alakija, Elumelu, Ibeto, Onyema, Chukwuma or Cubana are on the entourage

[4] More importantly for me, none of our pastorpreneurs, who know how to attract investors are on President Tinubu's entourage either. I put it to you all that this mission would have attracted billions were the likes of Adeboye, Oyedepo, Okotie, Sulaiman, Oritsejafor, Kumuyi, Olukoya, Oyakhilome, Ashimolowo, Ibiyeomie, Adeyemi, Bakare, etc on that presidential entourage

[5] Evangelical Christianity has been the largest growth industry in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999 and it is time we faced that reality. We have to tap into the opportunities this sector is providing

[6] One just needs to look at the number of private jets these clergymen are buying to see how successful they are. What I love about them is that they have a compelling way of selling their products that makes everyone buy them

[7] No pastorpreneur has ever forced anyone to pay tithes in Nigeria but our people willingly give 10% of their incomes to their churches. We need to replicate this when it comes to FDI, getting foreign investors to invest 10% of their profits in Nigeria. Our pastorpreneurs are people we know have experience in doing this

[8] St Lucia is an offshore tax haven for instance, where a lot of billionaires stash their wealth. Who is to say that Bishop Oyedepo would not have been able to get the financiers on that island to invest 10% or the capital they are sitting on in Winners Chapel? He has the gift of the garb and could pull it off

[9] Pastor Adeboye heads an RCCG that has a church on virtually every street corner of Nigeria. He could easily have assured Brazilian investors that he has the capacity to ensure they reach the Nigerian market and sell any produce they are offering to 200m people

[10] If we are really serious about turning the Nigerian economy around however, all these clergymen need to be compelled to merge their financial arms into one giant conglomerate that will serve as the bellweather of the Nigerian economy. Can you just imagine a company called Man of God Nigeria PLC Ltd with a market capitalisation of $2trn that is floated on the London, New York, Tokyo and Frankfurt stock exchanges? Such a company with directors Adeboye, Oyedepo, Okotie, Sulaiman, Oritsejafor, Kumuyi, Olukoya, Oyakhilome, Ashimolowo, Ibiyeomie, Adeyemi, Bakare and a presence in manufacturing, power generation, food processing and agriculture would dramatically transform Nigeria overnight

ayoakinfe@gmail.com