By Ismail Abdulaziz
President Bola Tinubu has arrived New Delhi, India, for a six-day official visit, to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit and other engagements.
Tinubu was accompanied on the trip by top government officials, including ministers and Presidential aides.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president is expected to participate in the G20 Summit, which is scheduled to hold between Sept. 9 and Sept. 10.
On the sidelines of the submit, Tinubu will have high-level meetings with other world leaders and business executives as well as meet the Nigerian community in India.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, had disclosed that Tinubu would also use the visit to attract global capital and increased Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the country.
“The CEO Roundtable will be attended by leading industrialists in the Indian private sector, Nigerian industrialists, as well as senior government officials from both countries.
‘’The President aims to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigeria’s economy for job creation and revenue expansion.
“Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectorial reform plan as encapsulated by the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Given the President’s renowned experience in attracting investment to Lagos State, leading industrialists have sought separate private engagements with him at the summit.
‘’The President’s itinerary will also feature bilateral meetings with a cross-section of world leaders from four different continents, representing both G-20 and non–G20 countries. These engagements are geared towards strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnerships for mutual benefit.
“At the G20 Summit, the Nigerian leader is expected to share Nigeria’s perspective on the theme, “One Earth-One Family-One Future”, which speaks to the global unity, required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet.
Ngelale added that the country would use the summit to explore the possibilities of joining the G20 to its benefit.
“While Nigeria’s membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership.
“This is consistent with the desire of the President to democratising foreign policy and articulate policy formulation and implementation through a Whole-of-Society and a Whole-of-Government approach that achieves the nation’s long-term strategic objectives.
“Once consultations are concluded, the government will decide whether or not to apply to join as appropriate. The participation of President Tinubu at the G-20 Summit in India is, in part, in furtherance of this objective”, Ngelale said.
The president will return to Nigeria immediately, following the conclusion of the summit.(NAN)
