Nigeria has secured $50.8 billion in investment deals as of November 2024, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole, has disclosed.
The Minister, while presenting the ministry’s achievements at a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said her ministry has positioned Nigeria as a key player under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and completed a World Trade Organisation (WTO) review.
She added that the ministry was working to remove bottlenecks hindering investment growth while leveraging collaboration with other key stakeholders.
The Minister highlighted some reforms, investment inflows, and policy advancements as strides of her ministry.
One of the major reforms she outlined was the ministry’s establishment of an Industrial Revolution Work Group and a National Industry Tour as part of efforts to assess and revitalise Nigeria’s industrial landscape.
Mrs Oduwole said these achievements indicated progress in international trade engagement.
She also highlighted technology and job creation with emphasis on youth participation in a tech-driven economy.
Mrs Oduwole was appointed to the position in October 2024 after President Bola Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet and removed Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite as the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment to make her the junior minister of finance.
Prior to her appointment, Mrs Oduwole was his Special Adviser on Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment, having served from November 2015 to May 2019 under the last administration of Mr Muhammadu Buhari as the Senior Special Assistant on Industry, Trade & Investment in the Office of the Vice President in which she worked to form the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN).