Nigeria remains Africa’s biggest economy, top investment destination – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Nigeria remained Africa’s biggest economy and top investment destination.

Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Akpanudoedehe was reacting to insinuation that Twitter’s decision to cite its African operations in Ghana was caused by bad governance in Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria’s current status as Africa’s largest economy was attained under President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration.

“And that our industrious citizens were the ultimate beneficiaries.”

Akpanudoedehe said decisions of private concerns particularly businesses, on where to cite operations were their exclusive preserve and should not be an issue.

“However, for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that mocks the country and its citizens over what it celebrates as missed business prospects, does not mean well and should definitely not be considered as a governance option.

“It is exhausting and depressing highlighting PDP’s ignominious past,” he said.

Akpanudoedehe said the APC would rather consolidate and focus on how Nigeria was finally getting it right under Buhari.

He wondered how come what the PDP termed the present misrule did not stop multinational technology companies such as Facebook and Google from opening offices in Nigeria.

The APC secretary pointed out that the claim of misrule by the PDP did not stop the world’s largest brewer from establishing business in Nigeria.

This, he said, included Anheuser-Busch InBev and multinational food manufacturing giants and Kelloggs who established their multi-billion naira breweries and factories in Nigeria.

He said that in spite of uncertainties due to COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria earned 2.6 billion dollars of the global volume of Foreign Direct Investment.

“This surpasses major competitor South Africa (2.5billion dollars), following the latest 2020 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Investment Trends Monitor,” he said.

Akpanudoedehe said that Nigeria had achieved a lot through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

He said the PEBEC was set up by the Buhari-led administration to remove bureaucratic constraints in doing business in Nigeria and the ongoing implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

“Nigeria is on the right trajectory and the PDP cannot wish away these solid achievements,” Akpanudoedehe said.

He reminded Twitter and other frontline social media platforms of their important responsibilities in curbing fake news, disinformation and hate speech.

Akpanudoedehe said that in the last U.S. presidential election, the proactive role played by social media operators in checking fake news and divisive rhetoric was a solid pointer to how proper social media usage ultimately benefits society.

“We expect no less in Nigeria from social media operators,” he said.