Shettima tells Nigerian diaspora that country is open for investment

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has told Nigerians living in the United States that Nigeria remains open for business despite negative reports about the country on social media. Shettima made the statement on Wednesday at Nigeria House in New York during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian diaspora community. His media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, issued a statement about the meeting on Thursday.

The vice-president said the Federal Government was working to reposition the economy and attract investment. He urged Nigerians abroad to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing the diaspora’s knowledge and expertise as an important national resource. Shettima said the government was focusing on education, health, science and technology, and agriculture.

He also defended the administration’s reforms, saying they had produced what he described as tangible gains. Among the figures he cited were an increase in foreign reserves from $3.9bn to more than $55bn and economic growth of 4.45 per cent in the last quarter. He said improvements in the exchange rate and foreign reserves would help protect diaspora remittances and investments.

Shettima also pointed to the Dangote Refinery as a recent example of investment success. On education, he said more than 1.29 million tertiary students had accessed N125bn through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund since its introduction. He said the government was also using available measures to address security challenges.

Governors from Borno, Kwara, Rivers and Zamfara attended the session, alongside the Senate leader and federal ministers.