The recent announcement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Ambassador of Nigeria House at the forthcoming Olympics in Brazil has been adjudged as honour well-deserved, writes Correspondent, SAM NWOKORO.
Nigeria’s image these days needs some redemption. In the past one year, the country’s sovereign profile in all sectors has been on the minus side. From the economic policies engineering to implementation of various expansion designs, to foreign exchange circuit gymnastics to oil pipeline vandalism, militancy, herdsmen terrorism to Boko Haram insurgency, it was no surprise that several rating bodies had put Nigeria’s sustainability index as hospitable place off card.
It was only after the recently harmonised forex market, which seemed to have registered some interests in both local and foreign players in the economy, was announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that some faint dose of confidence seemed to have come into sight.
Nigeria House at Rio
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, poses a great opportunity for showcasing the wealth of Nigeria. Nigeria House in Rio is the place to have a taste of Nigeria: lavish culture and robust tastes. There are many events lined up during the Olympic games, and the Nigeria House promises to keep visitors to its website abreast of events.
Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Solomon Dalung; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, are to lead other top Nigerians to the Nigeria House Business and Investment Summit in Sao Paulo and Rio in Brazil next month.
The Business Summit, which is in collaboration with the Brazil-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce (BNCC) slated for Sao Paulo between July 21 and 22, will also have Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal (SGF) and Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita.
Atiku is the Ambassador while Mrs. Oyo-Ita is Matron of the Nigeria House in Rio. Odigie-Oyegun is Dean of the Ambassadors while the Project Coordinator is Abdullahi Mohammed.
As ambassador of Nigeria House, Atiku will be leading a few other prominent Nigerians in the Nigerian Business House Investment Forum in Rio.
The former Vice president received the members of the Investment Summit group in Aso Rock residence recently, where he said: “We must realise that every nation has its own challenges and as we are going to Brazil, the country is facing the worst recession in its life; but it has not stopped Brazil from staging the Olympics. Nigeria should be optimistic about the future of this country and never write her off. Nigeria in the foreseeable future will be the envy of not just Africa, but the entire world.”
According to briefs from the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Nigeria House works in collaboration with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, state governments, chambers of commerce and industry and other agencies that would be showcasing sectors of the Nigerian economy in need of foreign direct investment (FDI).
The Nigerian House Project Committee, with office at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, spells out areas of investment in Nigeria which it said it would be marketing to the international investing community throughout the Olympic Games between August 5 and 26. The House opens for activities from August 3 to 26.
Odigie-Oyegun viewed the project as necessary.
“I want to say, everything should be done to encourage your project to make sure it succeeds and stands out during the Olympics, and if we don’t win (sports) medals, at least let Nigerian House win investment medals. I am proud, glad and feel very privileged that you have made me the Dean of Ambassadors, and I promise that, in that capacity, I will give whatever role you give me my best,” Odigie-Oyegun told Dalung.
The Sports Minister responded: “This project has come at a time when our dear nation is in dire need of FDI and positive international image which Mr. President has vigorously spearheaded, and which I believe the sports ministry has the capacity to further promote, given the steps taken so far under your leadership. Areas of investment into the Nigerian economy, which the committee would be advertising include agriculture, solid minerals, trade and investment, transport, power and energy, housing, health, culture, communication and justice.”
Mobilisation and scouting of investors will be holding under the auspices of the Nigerian House Business Investment Summit.
The last time Nigeria held such global branding campaign was in London in 2012 and 2014. Both resulted in improved investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Ambassador extraordinaire
Sovereign rating is done by international rating agencies based on verifiable facts and data about the macro-economic features of any economy. The major factors that determine the coming or going out by foreign investors are chiefly: prevailing monetary policy and exchange rate, population, security, healthy pool of local entrepreneurs they can partner with to grow, chief proficient labour and infrastructure. To an extent, the visibility of a country on the global stage also helps field men of rating bodies have a true glimpse of whether the data at its disposal truly reflects the volume of activities that actually go on in the economy. It is through the staging of international events like trade exhibitions and summits such as this that such messages are easily passed to the general public.
The choice of any brand team leadership is determined by the attributes of the person or group of persons involved. It requires the appointment of a credible personage with unblemished record of public service.
Atiku seems tailored for the role for several reasons. He is the leading spirit of APC and its change mantra right from when he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to compel Action Congress (AC) to add Nigeria to its name to become Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), before metamorphosing to APC. He also plays a consensus builder role for the party. He has conducted himself better than other past public office holders since he left office. And he has managed to stay above the fray in the small squabbles that have engulfed his party in recent time.
The former VP has got the President’s back in doing certain things that matter in the party and in the nation. He has helped in providing succour to some of the internally-displaced persons (IDPs) near him, apart from investing in vital segments of the economy such as development of jetties, erection of feed mill plants and growing of needed food and cash crops.
So far, his out-of-service conduct has revealed him much as a statesman and an ambassador extraordinaire.
