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UK-Africa Investment Summit to showcase Investment in both Nigeria & UK

The United Kingdom Government will on Monday, 20 January 2020, host the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit in London geared towards a long-term partnerships that will deliver more investment and jobs in people and business in both Nigeria and the UK.
This Summit will bring together British and African businesses to harness the huge potential of the continent when it comes to trade – including through infrastructure, agriculture, enterprise and technology. It will create new lasting partnerships to deliver more investment, jobs and growth to benefit people and businesses across Africa and the UK.
Hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Summit is a great opportunity to highlight and discuss trade and investment relations for both the UK and Nigeria. Other African countries will also be looking to promote their investment offers.
Nigeria will play a critical role in the success of the Summit. President Buhari is set to head the Nigerian delegation and will receive special treatment, befitting his status as President of Africa’s most populous country and biggest economy.
At the Summit, the Nigerian delegation will have the chance to engage investors on business environment issues and to emphasise Nigeria’s commitment to continuing to improve conditions for doing business, as recognised in its steady climb up the World Bank’s Doing Business index from 146th to 131st in last October’s report.
The British Prime Minister will meet with President Buhari, who will also attend a reception hosted by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
In advance of the Summit, the UK Government through the Department for International Development worked with the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) to develop a new Nigeria Investment Guide, which will be launched at the Summit. The guide, trailed today, will help investors understand the opportunities and find out about the organisations, processes and services in place to help make the most of them.
Harriet Thompson – British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, “The UK-Africa Investment Summit is a major opportunity to support growth, development and job creation in Nigeria, including HE President Buhari’s commitment to expanding agriculture and manufacturing.”
“Nigeria will be highly visible: the only country to participate in every AIS event, and Nigeria’s companies will be out in force: one in seven of the African companies attending will be Nigerian.
“Every session of the Summit will feature Nigerian participants. We want them to come back with new partnerships that will boost investment and create jobs and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.
“This is a prime opportunity for Nigeria to make its pitch to quality British companies and investors, demonstrating not only the scale and breadth of commercial opportunities here in Nigeria, but also Government’s commitment to improving the business environment. Global competition for investment is fierce. Nigeria will need to compete for its share, addressing those areas that businesses still find a challenge, such as customs and tax procedures.
“The UK Government stands ready to assist, and to bring our companies here to be part of the growth story we want to see. That’s ultimately the goal of the Summit: to attract investors for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and the UK.”
Chris Pycroft – Head of Department for International Development in Nigeria, “This is the time for Nigeria – All eyes are on the Summit. Bringing together British and African businesses, governments, entrepreneurs and innovators is a massive step in unlocking Africa’s potential.
“We can create new lasting partnerships that will deliver more investment, more jobs and more growth – that’s good for people and businesses – and good for Nigeria”
Yewande Sadiku- Executive Secretary/CEO Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, “The UK is a country of strategic investments and we consider the relationship of utmost importance, and our delegation to the UK-Africa Investment Summit reflects that much. The summit will be an opportunity for UK businesses to get a sense of the opportunities in the Nigerian market.
The Nigerian Investment Guide will give investors the feel of what matters in setting up a business in Nigeria. We hope this will encourage even more British businesses to invest here – creating jobs for Nigerians and supporting both our economies”
Speaking on his visit to Kenya last weekend, the International Development Secretary, Alok Sharma
said: “I am in Africa to see how British and African businesses are working together to drive jobs and growth across the continent.
“Africa has eight of the 15 fastest growing economies in the world but currently receives less than 4% of foreign direct investment. There are fantastic opportunities for UK businesses to work alongside, invest in and partner with African nations.
“My visit comes ahead of the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on January 20, where we will bring together UK and African businesses, African leaders, international institutions and young entrepreneurs to drive the investment Africa needs to flourish.I look forward to seeing many of you there.”
News
FG May Forfeits $4m from World Bank Loan over Audit Flop

Federal government may lose $4 million from a World Bank loan after failing to get a pass mark on key audit standards in its revenue-generating agencies, such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
This is according to a World Bank restructuring paper dated June 2025.
The amount, which is the equivalent of around N6.2 billion with an exchange rate of N1,568 per dollar, could have helped to address one of Nigeria’s infrastructural deficits.
The fund formed part of the $103 million Fiscal Governance and Institutions Project, a public financial management initiative financed through a credit facility from the International Development Association.
Accordingly, the revenue assurance audit covering the FIRS and Customs for the 2018 to 2021 financial years was assessed as not achieved because the reports submitted did not meet international auditing standards.
“Revenue assurance audit of Main Income Generating Agencies, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service for FY 2018–2021, with an allocation of $4m.
“These Intermediate Results to be implemented by the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation were assessed as not achieved by the Independent Verification Agent because the reports submitted for verification did not meet the requisite international auditing standards.”
Also, the unsuccessful audit was one of ten performance-based conditions under the project that the government could not deliver before the closing date of June 30, 2025. Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Finance formally requested the cancellation of $10.4 million in project funds.
“The FMF has requested cancellation of $0.9m of unused funds for technical assistance and $9.5m, which is the amount allocated to 10 performance-based conditions, which will not be achieved by the close of the project on June 30, 2025,” the document read.
Further analysis shows that $4.5 million was tied to the uncompleted Revenue Assurance and Billing System, while $1 million was allocated to the development of a National Budget Portal.
According to the document, the Budget Office of the Federation, which was responsible for the portal, did not submit any evidence of achievement. In addition, $0.9 million in technical assistance funding was left uncommitted and has also been cancelled.
News
CDCFIB Warns against Recruitment Racketeers

Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has warned job seekers to be wary of fraudsters circulating inappropriate recruitment information.
The warning came against the backdrop of social media publications that President Bola Tinubu has ordered massive recruitments into some government agencies.
The agencies listed in the report were the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS)..
The agencies are all under the Ministry of Interior, headed by Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
However, while responding to the reports, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) cautioned Nigerians against falling into the traps of job racketeers.
The Board acknowledged a Presidential approval for the recruitment of personnel in the four (4) Paramilitary Services under its purview, but insisted that due process would be followed on the matter.
Major Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (rtd), board secretary, said in a statement that “there are series of processes which leads to the actual recruitment exercise.”
“The Board wishes to reiterate that for all its recruitment processes, appropriate notifications would be done via adverts in the national dailies and it would be carried out in a fair and transparent process devoid of payment of any fee.
“To this effect, members of the public should be weary of the activities of recruitment racketeers who may want to take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers to rob them of their hard-earned resources”, Gen Jibrin said.
News
Concerned Nigerians Ask EFCC to Release Abiodun, CBEX Promoter

Adefowora Abiodun, one of the alleged promoters of the CBEX investment scheme, who voluntarily surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in April following a ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, is still languishing in the custody of the anti-corruption agency.

Adefowora Abiodun, one of the alleged promoters of the CBEX investment scheme,
Concerned Nigerians who have been following the matter have urged the EFCC to release him unconditionally since he honoured their invitation without being arrested.
The court had approved the EFCC’s request to arrest and detain six individuals connected to the scheme, including Abiodun.
Alongside Abiodun, five other individuals—Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim—were declared wanted by the EFCC for their involvement in the alleged fraudulent investment scheme, which was valued at over $1 billion.
Fadila Yusuf, EFCC’s legal counsel, had submitted evidence that led to their public declaration as wanted individuals.
After the announcement, Abiodun, who was shocked by the declaration, alongside his legal team, presented himself to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, expressing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
Babatunde Busari, his legal counsel, explained that Abiodun’s decision to submit voluntarily was made in order to clear his name and address the media narratives circulating about the case.
Despite the return of investor funds and CBEX’s assurance that withdrawals would be allowed by June 25, Abiodun has been in detention for over a month, triggering speculation about the EFCC’s high-handedness and rights abuse.
His legal team is now advocating for his release on administrative bail, emphasizing that the ongoing detention is unwarranted under the circumstances since he submitted himself for investigation.
According to one of the family sources, “Keeping him in a cell for over one month would send a negative signal to other Nigerians who would be declared wanted by the EFCC in the future. It would discourage Nigerians who have clear cases from surrendering themselves voluntarily to security agencies if, at the end of the day, they don’t receive mutual respect for surrendering themselves.”
He added that CBEX is not a Ponzi scheme.
Reacting to the agitation by concerned Nigerians, Dele Oyewole , EFCC spokesman hinted that the agency obtained a remand order to keep him beyond 48 hours.
According to him, “Anybody that we are holding beyond 48 hours, be rest assured that we have a lawful remand order from the magistrate court to hold him beyond 48 hours.
“We are a law-abiding commission. Concerning that suspect, we are holding him on the basis of that remand order.”
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