Robert Maersk Uggla, chair of Danish shipping giant A.P Moller-Maersk, has denied signing any $600 million investment deal with the Nigerian government despite a Sunday press statement by President Bola Tinubu’s aide saying otherwise.

Mr Maersk met Mr Tinubu at a special session of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last weekend, where the Nigerian leader asked the shipping mogul to complement his “administration’s ongoing $1 billion investment in seaport reconstruction.”

“We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships,” State House quoted Mr Maersk as saying on Sunday.

However, contrary to a widely circulated statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, that Mr Tinubu secured a $600 million investment deal to expand seaport infrastructure, the Maersk group said no such deal existed.

“We are not able to comment on any investment talks,” the group told UK newspaper Lloyd’s List on Tuesday.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” the Danish company told the newspaper.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”

The denial marks the latest in a trend of the Nigerian government parroting false claims about securing agreements with foreign entities.

Last September, the State House announced that Dubai had lifted a visa ban on Nigerians, but this turned out to be false. 

Seven months after the announcement, Nigerians are still restricted from entering Dubai.