Nigerian-born global investor and Chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Adebayo Ogunlesi has disclosed his intention to develop a local aviation infrastructure in Nigeria.
He spoke to newsmen after a closed door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos, expressing strong confidence in the President’s economic reforms.
He described the reforms as a solid foundation for renewed international investment in the country, commending the administration’s economic direction citing removal of fuel subsidies, ongoing tax reforms, and the revival of the national refinery.
‘We had an excellent meeting where we discussed strategies to put Nigeria front and centre for global investment. The President was very encouraging, and we exchanged valuable ideas on driving economic growth,’ he said in a statement made available to Daily Trust yesterday.
Ogunlesi added that his firm is actively investing in Nigeria and evaluating new opportunities across multiple sectors.
‘Watch this space. Nigeria may not yet be the most exciting investment destination, but that’s what we are working on,’ he noted.
He highlighted energy, gas, aviation, ports, and renewable energy as the areas of focus, stressing that Nigeria’s vast gas reserves remain significantly underdeveloped.
Drawing on his firm’s experience in LNG projects in Texas and Australia, he described Nigeria’s energy sector as ‘ripe for sustainable partnerships.’
Ogunlesi hinted his interest in developing local aviation infrastructure, revealing that one of his companies operates ports in Cotonou and Lomé, but none in Nigeria, a point the President humorously challenged him on.
‘He forgave me but said, ‘You must bring port investment to Nigeria,” Ogunlesi recounted with a smile.
Also present at the meeting, international investor Hakeem Bello-Osagie emphasized the importance of diaspora involvement in Nigeria’s economic transformation.
‘When Nigerians at home and abroad invest in the country, it sends a powerful message to the global community,’ he said.
Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), noted that the administration’s fiscal and structural reforms are laying the groundwork for an export-led economy.
‘We have done the fundamentals, and now it is time to deliver growth,’ he said.