President Bola Tinubu has welcomed ENI’s interest in further investment, particularly in the agricultural sector, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to making Nigeria more globally competitive through strategic reforms.
The President made these remarks on Friday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from ENI led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Claudio Descalzi, at the Presidential Villa.
Tinubu highlighted his administration’s focus on exploring innovative thinking, strategic planning, new technology, and research into best practices to reposition Nigeria’s economy. He stressed the importance of continuous reform and intellectual curiosity in adapting to global changes.
“We cannot grow today’s seed with yesterday’s belief system,” President Tinubu stated. “We have to continuously be intellectually inquisitive and reform ourselves and our way of doing things,” the President stated.
“And we see the effect of your belief in our partnership, not for exploitation, but for investable development. Africa is not in a begging mode but in an accelerated mode to compete and take its place with the rest of the world,’’
The President encouraged ENI to set a timeline for their investment strategy, urging it to “put a timeline on that investment strategy”.
“I have seen the need for us to continue to be leaders in this reform and create opportunities for attracting investments because the basket is getting bigger, and the participants are getting larger and more resilient. The fossil fuel problem is there; science and technology is taking over.
“We will still continue to assure you that we are going to be the global investment destination and I will encourage you, as one of the progressive leaders in the industry, on what our reforms have achieved.
“Please, put a timeline on that investment strategy. It will be a stimulant for the rest of the world when you put a timeline on it,’’ the President added.
Tinubu also emphasized that Africa is ready to compete on the global stage, stating, “Africa is not in a begging mode but in an accelerated mode to compete and take its place with the rest of the world.”
In response, ENI’s CEO Descalzi expressed the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s development. He stated, “We want to come back and demonstrate that what somebody in Europe says about Nigeria, that everybody is leaving, is not true. We want to be the champion of this new era.”
The meeting underscores Nigeria’s efforts to attract foreign investment and position itself as a competitive player in the global economy through ongoing reforms and strategic partnerships.
