By Muhammed Musa Tsoken,
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening Nigeria’s economic and strategic partnership with Japan, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, infrastructure and technology.
Akume made the commitment in Abuja on Monday when he received the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The SGF said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, had continued to implement comprehensive economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at improving the business environment, strengthening macroeconomic stability, promoting private-sector growth and attracting foreign direct investment.
According to him, the reforms have opened up new opportunities for international investors seeking reliable and profitable investment destinations.
Akume noted that several Japanese companies were already operating successfully in Nigeria, expressing optimism that more Japanese businesses would invest in the country as investor confidence continues to improve.
He urged Japanese investors to explore opportunities in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, including infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, renewable energy and solid minerals.
The SGF assured potential investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating a transparent, predictable and investor-friendly business environment.
He also commended the Government of Japan for its longstanding development partnership with Nigeria, particularly in healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure, humanitarian assistance, disaster management and technical cooperation.
Akume specifically acknowledged the contributions of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Nigeria’s development, noting that its interventions had supported several national development priorities.
He called for stronger cooperation between both countries in clean energy, climate resilience, capacity building, scholarships and technology transfer, particularly as Nigeria seeks to harness the potential of its growing youthful population.
On security, the SGF appreciated Japan’s support for peace-building and humanitarian interventions, especially in Nigeria’s North-East, while expressing the country’s interest in expanding bilateral cooperation in maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, border management and disaster risk reduction.
He noted that enhanced collaboration in these areas would contribute significantly to regional stability and sustainable development.
In his remarks, Ambassador Suzuki Hideo commended the economic and fiscal reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, saying improvements in foreign exchange management, investor confidence and Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook had enhanced the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
The Japanese envoy also pointed to Nigeria’s improving sovereign credit ratings as a positive development that had strengthened international confidence in the country’s economic direction.
He said the positive developments had been consistently communicated to the Japanese Government as evidence of Nigeria’s improving economic outlook.
Ambassador Suzuki further disclosed that the recent visit of the Chairman of the Policy Research Council of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, Mr. Takayuki Kobayashi, had renewed Japan’s interest in strengthening its engagement with Nigeria.
He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to building a long-term partnership with Nigeria based on mutual trust, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
The meeting was attended by Permanent Secretaries and senior officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and officials of the Japanese Embassy.
The meeting is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Japan and create new opportunities for economic cooperation, investment and strategic engagement between both countries.
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