NewStats: 3,261,751 , 8,175,020 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 11:56 AM 5l202v

LIKE his predecessors, President Bola Tinubu is making frequent international travels a cornerstone of his istration. In quick succession, he recently jetted to Saudi Arabia, Guinea-Bissau, and . The excuse of attracting foreign direct investment was also proffered by those who preceded him in the Fourth Republic but had only consistently declining investment inflows to show for their numerous travels. Now that the treasury is bankrupt, Tinubu should realise that making the country safe for citizens and commerce magnetises investments, not globe-trotting.

In his first six months in office, Tinubu has visited 10 countries. Twice each, he has been to and Guinea-Bissau, adding the United Kingdom, Kenya, Benin Republic, and India for good measure. His trip to the UN General Assembly in New York in September generated an uproar following his large entourage.

On his trip to Berlin, , he explained that he was attending the G20 Compact with Africa Conference to “sustain his momentum in advancing the cause of FDI in Nigeria.”

This is illusory; the numerous travels of Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari that preceded him in office failed in that mission.


Indeed, the more Nigerian presidents travel to court FDI, the more it declines. From a high of $8.84 billion in 2011, FDI inflow crashed to $3.45 billion, or 0.85 per cent of GDP in 2016; $2.3 billion (0.55 per cent) in 2020, and $3.31 billion in 2021, the World Bank said. In 2022, FDI was negative at minus $0.19 billion (-0.04 per cent).

Tinubu should rather rebuild the fundamentals. When his house is on fire, he should mandate the Vice-President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or other senior official to undertake these foreign assignments while he directs his full attention to fixing Nigeria’s myriad challenges.

The bitter truth is that while its potential remains huge, Nigeria is currently not attractive to foreign investors. Africa’s largest economy is plagued on many fronts, starting with insecurity. From Islamic terrorism to banditry, kidnapping to separatist agitation, and militancy to Fulani herdsmen rapine, robbery, and cultism, and neither its citizens nor investments are safe.


On the eve of his trip, terrorists attacked the motorcade of the Yobe State Governor, Mala Buni, between Maiduguri, Borno State, and Damaturu in which two security agents died. On Wednesday, soldiers invaded the Adamawa State Police Command HQs in Yola, killing an inspector.

Repeatedly, Western governments issue travel alerts to their citizens to refrain from travelling to parts of the country. This is a major impediment to FDI and tourism.

Besides, the economy is struggling with inflation, shabby infrastructure, forex illiquidity, huge debt, shallow electricity output, poor enforcement of the rule of law, and poor ease of doing business.

The World Governance Index graded Nigeria D, in company with Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. It scored low in the rule of law, corruption, political rights, and press freedom. Out of 142 countries, the World Justice Project ranks it 120th in the 2023 Rule of Law Index.

Therefore, Tinubu should first put his house in order, driving the restructuring of the country, especially on policing devolution, empowerment of the states, and privatisation.

ittedly, a president’s visits can and do help secure favourable responses, but not all. Travels should be well analysed and targeted, and not indiscriminate. The home front is the critical work place. Tinubu can flaunt the $500 million gas pledge he bagged in , but unfruitful junketing is wasteful.

He should revitalise the power sector and drive a radical liberalisation and privatisation programme to open the railways, ports, airports, steel, cattle ranching, mining and petroleum downstream sectors to domestic and foreign investment.

Without these, frequent overseas trips will amount only to sight-seeing and a waste of public funds.

https://punchng.com/tinubu-should-rethink-his-frequent-trips/

He should

"The bitter truth is that while its potential remains huge, Nigeria is currently not attractive to foreign investors. Africa’s largest economy is plagued on many fronts, starting with insecurity. From Islamic terrorism to banditry, kidnapping to separatist agitation, and militancy to Fulani herdsmen rapine, robbery, and cultism, and neither its citizens nor investments are safe".

I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

With all Buhari jamboree, how many investors did he attract. Let's fix Nigeria first and see dividends of safe and sane nation. How good are roads and power supply in South Africa, where you are?

Corntry without 24/7 light dey find fdi

Kwantry that 90% of its citizens are very poor dey find fdi

Wantry wey steady kidnapping dey go on and bandits follow govt dey tax farmers dey find fdi

For where?
Nigeria weather too hot and dusty
Baba needs cool breeze
Oun lokan

A desperate and despicable criminal thinks he can attract foreign investors.

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

Can you do us all a favour and shut up? How many trips did Mandela, Mbeki, Zuma or Ramaphosa embark on before those big international corporations decided to set up shop in SA. As a matter of fact, SA is becoming more anti-West lately with their for Palestine, hip of Brics and decision to stay neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war while tacitly ing Russia. Yet the West keeps romancing them.
Fix your home front and every other thing will fall in place. No business entity will see 200million people with purchasing power and good environment and wait a second. They'll come begging like they do with China

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

I think most people who live in Nigeria are unaware of the outside world's perception of Nigeria. No one is going to invest their hard-earned money in an economy that is riddled with corruption. A country where security of life is a joke. A country now led by a known thief, drug dealer and morally challenged individual.

Have you noticed that Nigeria's elites do not believe in their own country?. Where do you think they save and invest their money?. These countries know you better than you know yourselves. They see and track your behavior and have actionable intelligence on the exact picture of things in Nigeria.

Investing in Nigeria is potentially a good return if you take into certain variables. But there are other factors, very fundamental in nature, that discourage that decision at this time, and I do not see that changing in the near future.

This is what any serious investor sees, including Nigerians.

Mr President, the management of Punch talk say make una dey relax for inside naija dey chop amala and plenty orisirisi, instead of to dey bother yourself dey go abroad to try dey attract investors. Punch billionaires talk say dem ready to dey supply you billions of dollars from their newspaper sales, say dem go increase our foreign reserves with dollars and will build their newspaper office in every state and employ more people. Mr President just make a phone call to Punch management and nigeria's cash needs is solved. Infact, Punch go dey give us more money far better than Saudi Arabia and deal. Punch talk say the money wey Saudi and wan carry enter naija dem be chicken change. Too much money dey worry Punch Nig Ltd.

Only an idiot would expect me to recognize druggie as my president.
Nothing meaningful would ever comes out of him.

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

Pakute:
Mr President, the management of Punch talk say make una dey relax for inside naija dey chop amala and plenty orisirisi, instead of to dey bother yourself dey go abroad to try dey attract investors. Punch billionaires talk say dem ready to dey supply you billions of dollars from their newspaper sales, say dem go increase our foreign reserves with dollars and will build their newspaper office in every state and employ more people. Mr President just make a phone call to Punch management and nigeria's cash needs is solved. Infact, Punch go dey give us more money far better than Saudi Arabia and deal. Punch talk say the money wey Saudi and wan carry enter naija dem be chicken change. Too much money dey worry Punch Nig Ltd.

Let Tinubu not put Nigeria in order first, let him be gallivanting wasting Nigeria's money and time going to beg investors, have you guys sat down to ask yourselves why all the countries he has traveled to has not responded to him so far.

That is almost like Governor of Borno telling you to come and invest in Sambisa forest that he has land bigger than 4 European countries...

I wonder how dumb imbeciles would think they have the mental capacity to advice the president we all voted for how to do is job

Ok

His trips are for definite inter-relation reasons, unlike that ajala aka dullardìnho de buhari.

Burr I think say punch na the drug kingpin fans, or is this just a 'make e be say' eye service?

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

I agree that zoom cannot take the place of physical meetings, but he can DELEGATE some of the meetings. That is why he has ministers.

Lols, perhaps the old man is trying to break buhari's record.

For the most traveled Nigerian president

Nigerian president from the previous one to the present one loves trip.

iwaeda:


https://punchng.com/tinubu-should-rethink-his-frequent-trips/

so that he will not use style go for Medical check up again?

dey play

E neva travel reach buhari now... I'm not sure any president can beat buhari in of junkeeteering

Mr president has turned himself to AJALA The traveller. I think he intend to travel all over the world 🌎🌍

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

Modafucker has to fix the country first by creating a condusive and enabling environment for the investors he wants to woo to see reason to come to the country to invest.

You cannot put a house with obvious leaking roof and delapidated structure for rent and expect prospective tenants to come pay for it, fix the roof n building first and then people will start coming to rent it, you won't even need to put to-let sef.

Rot in judicial alone is enough to scare potential investors not to talk of overwhelming corruption couple with insecurity.



Oga, put your house in order, investors would naturally swam into the country without invitation.

Same here. It don too much. He should just surprise us and show his magic wand in economics.

aswani:
I used to think this until I went to South Africa once.

All the big international corporations in IT and other "modern type" sectors have big buildings over there injecting some serious money into their economy.

Zoom meetings and emails can't cut it to get those businesses over here investing, President Tinubu needs to be physically standing in front of these investors in order to get anything.

All the hard work his lazy predecessors didn't do, he now has to. I feel for the man and believe he'll pull it off.

/
There are reasons people are flocking to Canada.

If you build, they must come.

/

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May Nigeria succeed

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