Vice-President Kashim Shettima has expressed optimism that Nigeria will become a major economic force in the world under President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Shettima stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja when he hosted a delegation from the Commonwealth Enterprise Investment Council led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rosie Glazerbrook.

According to him, the Tinubu administration is committed to creating an unprecedented enabling environment for both local and foreign investors to thrive.

“This is being done through harnessing resources of the country’s youth population in digital technology, improving electricity supply, boosting production and manufacturing, among other initiatives of government,” he said

Mr Shettima added that the Tinubu-led Federal Government was determined to transform the country’s demographic bulge into demographic dividends.

He assured that the Tinubu administration would harness the resources of its young population to build a more prosperous and progressive country.

The vice president noted that Nigeria was ready for business being blessed with a pro-business leader who rose from the business ecosystem and has shown commitment to supporting the growth of businesses.

He said the administration was ready to create the enabling environment for both indigenous and foreign businesses to grow.

“By 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world and only recently, an investment bank projected that by 2075 Nigeria’s economy will be the third largest in the world. It shows that the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or break that transition.

“So, the future belongs to Africa. If Nigeria works, Africa works. You have come to Nigeria at the right time – a time when a pro-business government is at the helm of affairs in the country and we are ready for business.”

On her part, Glazerbrook pledged the group’s support to the federal government.

She highlighted some of CWEIC’s forthcoming events both in Nigeria and outside.

She said the programmes were the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum in London in 2025, and the proposed Trade and Investment Forum holding in Nigeria in the second half of 2025.

She pledged the CWEIC’s support to the Nigerian economy, saying, “We want to help boost trade and investment into Nigeria. And equally support Nigerian businesses looking out to develop plans for more interactions with foreign partners.

“We will really like to look up to where we can encourage the Nigerian government and the business community to take advantage of the commonwealth market across the 56 countries and other partners in the Middle-East and North Africa,” she said

Also present were Founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; Chairman of the CWEIC in Nigeria, Olasupo Shasore; CWEIC Country Director, Nigeria, Obinna Anyanwu, and representatives of partners and members of the council from the public and private sectors.

(NAN)