Tinubu secures $600m ports investment, Eyes Guinea ties

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu held a series of high-stakes bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum, securing fresh investment pledges and opening doors for partnerships in infrastructure, mining, and regional diplomacy, his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has revealed.

Speaking to journalists in Kigali, Dare detailed the President’s packed schedule, which kicked off with a plenary session featuring speeches from the IFC Managing Director, Bank of Africa (BOA), and the President of Kigali, alongside top finance leaders discussing scaled-up investments in Africa. “Our President participated fully,” Dare said.

Tinubu’s engagements included a key meeting with IFC leadership, focusing on energy, housing, transportation, and infrastructure. He also conferred with APM Terminals, the ports development group already operating in Nigeria until 2031. “At that meeting, they announced interest in investing another $600 million,” Dare disclosed.

Investors in solid minerals, with a decade of operations in Guinea, expressed keen interest in Nigeria through an integrated model spanning infrastructure, mining, and related sectors. In a diplomatic highlight, Tinubu met Guinea’s democratically elected President, offering advice and accepting an invitation for a future visit. “Guinea has a lot of potential in metals and other minerals, so the horizon for partnership between Nigeria and Guinea has been opened. The possibilities are great,” Dare noted.

Addressing concerns about tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians, Dare emphasised the reform-driven momentum attracting investors. “Investors are showing strong interest in our country, and repeatedly they have said that because of the success of the reforms, they now have confidence in the Nigerian economy and see stability returning,” he stated. He added that MOUs would lead to bi-national commissions, with investments creating jobs, taxes, factories, and economic ripple effects. The IFC plans a mission to Nigeria for energy and power projects.

Dare praised Tinubu’s hands-on approach: “We are fortunate to have a President who is hands-on and reform-driven, combining corporate experience with governance experience.”

The engagements underscore Nigeria’s rising profile at the forum, with Dare confident that “when these investments eventually come in, and they will, the benefits will gradually spread through the economy.”