President Tinubu departing for G-20 Summit in India. Credit: State House
President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
The president took off from the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about half past midnight on Tuesday.
“On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at both the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference,” an earlier statement from the President’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, partly read.
The executive roundtable is expected to be attended by leading industrialists in the Indian private sector, Nigerian industrialists, as well as senior government officials from both countries.
“The President aims to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigeria’s economy for job creation and revenue expansion.
“Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectoral reform plan as encapsulated by the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Ngelale said.
At the G20 Summit, the Nigerian leader is expected to share Nigeria’s perspective on the theme, ‘One Earth-One Family-One Future’ with focus on global unity required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet.
“While Nigeria’s membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership.
“Once consultations are concluded, the government will decide whether or not to apply to join as appropriate. The participation of President Tinubu at the G-20 Summit in India is, in part, in furtherance of this objective.”
The President will travel to India alongside the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite.
“President Tinubu will return to Nigeria immediately following the conclusion of the Summit,” the statement concluded.