Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, will travel from Abuja to New Delhi, India, on Monday to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu is attending the two-day summit on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘President Tinubu set to attend G-20 Summit in India with investment attraction atop Nigeria’s agenda,’ reads the statement. Ngelale disclosed that the President plans to use the platform to draw in international money and encourage more foreign direct investments in the country’s core labor-intensive industries in order to increase employment and revenue.
He would take use of the occasion to emphasize Nigeria’s allure as a location for foreign investment, specifically by articulating his cross-sectoral reform strategy as summarized by the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Leading businesspeople have requested separate individual interactions with the President during the summit because of his well-known success in luring investment to Lagos State, it stated in part.
President Tinubu will take part in and give opening remarks at the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference, which will take place in conjunction with the Summit.
Leading businesspeople from Nigeria and India, as well as senior government representatives from both nations, will attend the CEO Roundtable.
Along with bilateral meetings, his schedule will include a variety of international leaders from four other continents, including G-20 and non-G20 members.
“These engagements are geared towards strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnerships for mutual benefit,” stated Ngelale.
The Nigerian president is anticipated to talk at the G20 Summit about Nigeria’s perspective on the subject “One Earth-One Family-One Future,” which emphasizes the need for international cooperation to overcome the problems facing humanity and the environment.
Despite the fact that Nigeria is not yet a component of the G-20 bloc, which was established in September 1999, the presidential adviser claimed Tinubu’s attendance at the summit is a step toward his goal of enlisting Nigeria in the group.
He stated that while it is ideal for Nigeria to join the bloc, the Tinubu-led administration has started extensive discussions to determine the advantages and hazards of membership.
This is in line with the President’s ambition to democratically democratize foreign policy and articulate policy formation and implementation through a Whole of Society and Whole of Government strategy that advances the country’s long-term strategic goals.
Part of President Tinubu’s attendance at the G-20 Summit in India is directed toward achieving this goal.
The government will decide whether or not to seek to join as necessary once consultations are over, he continues.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; and Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, are accompanying President Tinubu on the journey.
Since taking office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has traveled to six foreign countries, with India being his first stop in Asia.
He has so far traveled to Kenya, the UK, France, Guinea-Bissau, and the Benin Republic.
Tinubu would spend six days in New Delhi, bringing his total time spent abroad to 19 days.
He is scheduled to leave the Summit immediately and fly back to Nigeria.