By Olaide Ajibola, JKNewsMedia Reporter
NIGERIA’s VAST pool of skilled and youthful talent is being positioned as the driving force for economic growth, President Bola Tinubu has said.
Addressing French investors during a joint briefing with President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tinubu assured them of Nigeria’s readiness to provide a stable and conducive environment for investment.
He highlighted recent improvements in the country’s security, stating, “We’ve been working on stabilising the security system in Nigeria, and we are getting closer and closer. I can assure all the investors that Nigeria is open for business.”
The Nigerian president emphasised the potential of the country’s vibrant youth population, describing them as educated, skilled, and ready to be trained.
“This is why we need the French experts and investors to do more in this area to help develop our youth population,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu urged France to deepen its partnerships with Nigeria, particularly in developing industries such as fisheries and marine resources.
He pointed to Lagos’ success in taming the Atlantic Ocean and promoting the blue economy as evidence of the country’s determination to expand beyond oil.
Thanking the French government for its support to Nigerian businesses in Europe, Tinubu added, “We are creating the same ground for French investors in Nigeria, particularly in food security and other critical sectors.”
Macron acknowledged the importance of the partnership, reaffirming France’s commitment to continued investment in Nigeria despite the challenges facing the continent.
Tinubu’s visit marks the first state visit by a Nigerian president to France in over two decades.
