Speech by the Nigerian Vice President at the Nigerian-Saudi Investment and Tourism Exhibition

on 04/08/2026

Representative of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State; representatives of other state governors; the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation; the Chairman of the Bank of Industry; the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission; our Chief Host; officials of Al Yaro International Limited; private-sector leaders; distinguished guests; international delegates; ladies and gentlemen, please permit me to observe the already established protocol.

I bring you the warm greetings of His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His Excellency was unable to attend this important event in person. However, he sends his warm regards and has directed me, in my capacity as Special Adviser on Export Expansion and Secretary of the Nigeria Halal Economy Strategy Implementation Committee, to represent him and deliver these remarks on his behalf.

I undertake this responsibility with a deep appreciation of the honour it represents and a clear understanding of why His Excellency specifically asked me to represent him at this important gathering. The economic corridor between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia lies precisely at the intersection of two strategic priorities: export expansion and the halal economy. These are two important national mandates that I have the privilege of supporting under the leadership of His Excellency the Vice President.

Let me begin with the message His Excellency expressly asked me to deliver: Nigeria is open, and Nigeria is ready.

Under the leadership of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the administration has made export diversification, non-oil export growth, and the creation of a globally competitive investment climate central pillars of national policy. Therefore, the theme of this summit—addressing the misconceptions, challenges, and, above all, the opportunities of investing in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia—could not have come at a more appropriate time.

Too often, the relationship between our two countries has been viewed through a narrow lens. Nigeria is not merely a market to be served. It is Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies. It is also strategically positioned as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area, a market of more than one billion consumers.

Saudi Arabia, in turn, is not merely a source of investment capital. Under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom has become one of the world’s most ambitious and rapidly diversifying economies. It possesses considerable expertise in precisely the sectors identified by this summit, including tourism and the blue economy, agriculture and agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, and healthcare.

The opportunity before us is not about aid, nor is it about one-way investment. It is about building a genuine, mutually beneficial, and reciprocal partnership between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Allow me to highlight one important dimension that His Excellency specifically asked me to address. Over the past several months, Nigeria has been developing the Nigeria Halal Economy Strategy, chaired by His Excellency the Vice President himself. The objective is to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading hub within the global halal economy, a market valued at more than seven trillion US dollars.

This is not a peripheral undertaking. The halal economy encompasses agriculture and livestock, food processing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, logistics, tourism, and Islamic finance. These sectors correspond directly with many of the priorities being discussed at this summit.

We already count Saudi institutions among the foundational partners supporting this initiative. These include the Halal Products Development Company of Saudi Arabia, which has provided technical support in designing the strategy.

We regard the halal economy as one of the most natural, promising, and underutilised bridges between Nigeria’s productive capacity and Saudi Arabia’s investment capital, technical expertise, and access to regional and global markets.

To the investors and business leaders present at this gathering, His Excellency’s message is direct: Nigeria offers scale. We offer scale in population, agricultural production, livestock resources, and youthful entrepreneurial talent. We also offer strategic geographical proximity to major regional markets, placing Nigeria closer to key consumer markets than many of the world’s current halal and agricultural exporters.

Most importantly, Nigeria is increasingly offering the necessary institutional structure. The government is actively developing the standards, certification systems, financing mechanisms, and infrastructure required to provide investors with confidence that the commitments made today will be honoured tomorrow.

To our hosts—the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Al Yaro International Limited, and the other private-sector organisations that contributed to convening this important gathering—His Excellency commends you for creating this platform.

Diaspora-led initiatives such as this are often where the most sustainable partnerships begin. They are built upon a genuine understanding of the cultures, priorities, opportunities, and business environments on both sides of the Nigeria–Saudi economic corridor.

Let me conclude with the commitment His Excellency personally asked me to make before this gathering. The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the coordination of His Excellency the Vice President, stands ready to work with every serious investor represented at this summit.

We will work through the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as strategic platforms such as the Nigeria Halal Economy Strategy Implementation Committee, to transform the discussions held during these two days into signed agreements, completed transactions, sustainable investments, and lasting partnerships.

On behalf of His Excellency the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I thank the organisers for this invitation. I warmly welcome our Saudi partners, international guests, investors, and all delegates to Nigeria, and I wish everyone a productive and highly successful summit.

Thank you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

On this note, and on behalf of His Excellency the Vice President, I hereby declare the Nigerian–Saudi Investment and Tourism Exhibition 2026 officially open.

Thank you.

To watch the speech on YouTube, click on the link.

https://youtu.be/UtDdZSJ5NbE?si=aPFSxikqx5Nd3wBI