BY MICHAEL EBOH
LAGOS—Federal Government, Tuesday, said it will leverage on the opportunity presented by the infrastructure deficit of the country to stimulate the interest and support of foreign investors in driving Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

At a briefing in Lagos, on the forthcoming 17th Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, Mr. Shamsuddeen Usman, Minister, National Planning, said the government was aware of the renewed interest and confidence in the Nigerian economy by the global investing community, and was putting in place measures to benefit from it.

He said there are many other strong indications that the global community has renewed its confidence in Nigeria.

, and this gives the incentive to intensify the implementation of Mr. President’s Transformation Agenda, which seeks to achieve a fundamental transformation of the Nigerian economy.

Usman said the government will partner with the business community, using the forthcoming economic summit, to create the necessary momentum and galvanise international investor support that will help boost the economic profile of the country.

He added that the government will use the opportunity presented by the summit to improve Nigeria’s ranking in competitiveness and other economic indices in the next couple of years.

He said, “The summit will focus on Nigeria’s competitiveness and what is needed to systemically improve our relatively poor ranking in this and similar indices, progressively, over the next four years.

“The gathering will also discuss and agree on what policy changes are necessary to attract strong global investors, what actions will make people leave their country to make things happen in ours, what opportunities will be too difficult to ignore, what incentives will attract the right technology and skills; what changes will work for our mutual benefit and what disincentives must be expunged from our economic system.”

Usman further noted that the government is confident that the summit, which has its theme: ‘Attracting Foreign Direct Investment through global partnership,’ will create an appropriate platform to showcase to both local and foreign investors, the enormous opportunities and possibilities that exists in the Nigerian economy.

He said a window has been created in the forthcoming summit, allowing President Goodluck Jonathan to parley with chief executive Officers of the world’s largest corporations from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Middle East and Africa.

“These sessions,” he said, will feature chief executive officers of leading corporations and multilateral agencies. Some state governors are expected to make presentations on investment opportunities in their states, while a number of ministers will make sectoral presentations.

“There will also be plenty of opportunity for side meetings, among investors, local partners and top government officials.”

He promised to ensure that the public sector is adequately represented at the summit and a called for a broadening of the scope of representation of the private sector to include key arms of the organized private sector and civil society organizations.