Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday left the country for Oslo, Norway to represent Nigeria at the Nordic-Africa Business Summit holding this week in a bid to mobilize foreign investment.
According to a release made available to our reporter, the Vice President would be honouring a personal invitation from the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg.
The event, holding from Monday to Wednesday, is being organized to give particular prominence to trade and investment ties between Africa and the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The summit will attract the largest Nordic companies doing business or interested in doing business in Nigeria, with interests in agriculture, light manufacturing, transportation, digital technology and entertainment, oil and gas, and renewable energy
Specifically, the vice president would, among other critical issues, be speaking on the strides made by the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in improving the economy and human capital development, especially in pursuit of the administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) regarding the active mobilization of foreign investment.
The release added that Osinbajo will also headline a specific Nigeria-focused investment roundtable, which is expected to lead to increased trade and investment into Nigeria by building confidence about business prospects in the country and its role as an economic gateway into Africa.
There will also be a high-level plenary session at the summit to be attended by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, featuring the Nigerian VP, Deputy President of South Africa, David Mabuza, and other global business and government leaders.
Also, while in Oslo, the Vice President will hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, including bilateral cooperation, especially trade and private sector investments, as well as regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern.
The Norwegian government extended its invitation to the Vice President, noting that Nigeria’s participation in the summit would contribute considerably to its success, as the country “plays a crucial regional leadership role and has the largest economy in Africa.”
The Vice President, who had earlier today attended the Extraordinary Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, left Abuja later.
He is expected back on Thursday.
