Indeed, one man’s food, is another man’s poison.
While President Bola Tinubu insists on traveling around the world to secure investments for the country, Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, begs to differ.
In fact, Obi has advised the president to prioritize creating an environment for businesses to thrive.
For the former governor, the frequent foreign travels of the President have not turned in the required Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Since President Tinubu got into office, he has traveled to Senegal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, among other foreigns travels.
According to the Presidency, the travels were aimed at attracting foreign investors into the country.
However, speaking via a statement on Monday, Obi highlighted the gains made by President Donald Trump of the United States.
Business Environment
He noted that only the right policies, effective leadership and a conducive business environment attract foreign investors.
“Investment naturally flows to places where the environment is conducive, much like a bee and honey relationship.
“Though I have never—and will not—compare the United States of America, with its over $28 trillion GDP, to our country, Nigeria, with a GDP of about $250 billion, less than 1% of the USA GDP, I want to simply observe, and note where investment flows and why: to places with an inevitable, favourable environment.
“A typical example, the $1.1 trillion investment in-flow into the USA this month, was because of desirable environments and intangible assets.
“This was achieved without the President jetting around the world to attract such investments,” he said.
’For Example’
The former governor of Anambra State further urged the government to learn from the examples of Indonesia, Vietnam, India and others that invested heavily in critical sectors of development.
“I have always maintained that with the right leadership, prioritizing intangible assets, security, rule of law and resources allocated to productive sectors appropriately, that will unleash a productive society and allow entrepreneurship to thrive.
“This, in turn, will attract investments comparable to those in other developing nations with large populations, just like ours.
“For example, Indonesia, with a similar population of around 265 million—just 10-15% more than Nigeria’s 230 million—has invested in critical areas like healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation.
This focus has enabled them to achieve significant development and attract foreign investments.
“Countries like Indonesia, with a nominal GDP of approximately $165 billion in the year 2000, now have a GDP of about $1.39 trillion in the year 2024—an increase of over 8 times.
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“Countries like India, with a nominal GDP of approximately $476 billion in the year 2000, now have a GDP of about $3.73 trillion in the year 2024—an increase of nearly 8 times.
“Countries like Vietnam, with a nominal GDP of approximately $31 billion in the year 2000, now have a GDP of about $506 billion in the year 2024—an increase of over 16 times.
What We Require
“Our country Nigeria, with a nominal GDP of approximately $70 billion in the year 2000, now has a GDP of about $210 billion in the year 2024—an increase of over 3 times.
“What we require at this stage is to learn from these comparable countries what they have done to achieve such growth and religiously apply those strategies.
Indonesia now attracting about 10 times the foreign direct investment than we do.
“This is the kind of economic shift we should aim for by replicating the strategies of nations that have succeeded in similar circumstances” he stated.
