President Buhari is in London where he attended a Commonwealth summit yesterday and will be at the coronation today. I would have loved it if Bola Tinubu was on his entourage and they made a joint pitch to investors that looks like this

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Nigeria is willing to offer observer status Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas summits to countries whose companies invest a minimum of $10bn a year in the sub-region. This is to facilitate massive investment in West Africa with an annual minimum foreign direct investment (FDI) target of $500bn

[2] Nigeria is offering free land and five year tax holidays to the big automobile manufacturers like General Motors, Chrysler, Citroen, Toyota, Peugeot, Fiat, Nissan, Lexus and Ford. We want each of them to open assembly and manufacturing plants in Nigeria employing at least 5,000 local people each

[3] Any company from an industrialised nation that invests in a manufacturing facility in Nigeria employing at least 1,000 people will get a one year tax holiday. In return, any state in Northern Nigeria where these investors build a manufacturing facility employing at least a thousand local people will be compelled by law to rescind its Sharia laws to accommodate their foreign workers

[4] Shipping industries from across the industrialised world are welcome to open at least one shipyard in the Niger Delta to manufacture vessels for global distribution. Nigeria will offer them a 99 year lease to do this

[5] On an annual basis, industrialised nations will be encouraged to take in 50,000 Nigerian graduates to train them up to international standards in manufacturing, management and commerce. Such countries will get preferential supply contracts

[6] Power and steel companies will be given unprecedented sweeteners when then invest in Nigeria. If they invest over $10m and employ in excess of 1,000 Nigerians, they will be offered five year tax holidays, 99 year land leases, diplomatic status for their staff and the right to acquire Nigerian citizenship

[7] Pharmaceutical giants who manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine in Nigeria will be given a five year tax holiday and a 99 year land lease

[8] Agricultural giants are welcome to come and invest heavily in cattle ranches, food processing plants, storage facilities and refrigeration in Nigeria. They will be offered 100 year land leases and five year tax holidays too

[9] Every industrialised country has a national airline. We want them to come and take out a 25% stake in Nigeria’s planned national carrier. Any airline that comes will become a joint partner in the venture, second only to Air Peace, taking over all the assets of Arik Air

[10] Steel companies are desperately needed in Nigeria like yesterday. Steel giants from across the world are welcome to purchase the Ajaokuta, Aladja and Oshogbo steel mills with a mandate to produce 20m tonnes by 2025