Tinubu: We’ll Continue to Protect Local, Foreign Investments Across the Country

• Insists Nigeria on his watch is ready, open for business 

•Launches sales office for iconic city walk project

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, reiterated his government’s commitment to guarantee the safety of domestic and international investments, declaring that Nigeria, under his leadership, is ready and open for business.

Tinubu said the commitment was further demonstrated by the ongoing optimisation of legal, physical, and financial frameworks to protect capital, guarantee returns, and eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks in the system.

Speaking in Abuja at the official launch of the Sales Office and Experience Centre for the landmark Abuja City Walk Development project, the president, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the project as a tangible manifestation of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated, “We are not just opening a building. We are unveiling the window to a multi-billion-dollar future. We are presenting a tangible manifestation of our Renewed Hope Agenda, sculpted in concrete, innovation, and unwavering determination.”

He recalled an earlier promise he made to Nigerians on radical economic transformation and infrastructure renewal, saying, “The City Walk Experience Centre stands as proof that our administration does not just make promises, we execute them with determination.”

Tinubu also spoke on the viability of the project, stressing, “The Abuja City Walk is a shining symbol of what can be achieved when political will meets private sector expertise and capital.

“By granting this corridor a Free Trade Zone status, we have further eliminated trade friction, laying down a fertile environment for regional commerce, medical tourism, premium retail, and high-end hospitality.”

The president commended the commitment of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration, led by the minister, Nyesom Wike, to the realisation of the project.

He declared, “For 20 years, the Abuja Technology Village corridor lay dormant.

“Today, through aggressive land administration reforms and the eradication of bureaucratic inertia, it is being transformed into a bustling construction hub.”

Tinubu stated that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, his administration was gradually putting a permanent end to the era of land speculation and abandoned mega-projects in Abuja.

He said, “We have made it clear that land is an asset for rapid development, not an instrument for developmental retrogression and speculative hoarding.

“Through this development, we are pushing the boundaries of architectural and engineering possibility in Africa. This magnificent project also underscores our deep conviction that sustainable national development cannot be carried out by the government alone.”

The president charged the FCT administration and partners in the project to maintain the intense momentum, insisting that the launch of the sales office and experience centre must translate immediately into accelerated brick-and-mortar execution on-site.

Earlier, Wike said the formal launch of the Abuja City Walk project was a realisation of one of the cardinal objectives of the Tinubu administration, to attract foreign direct investment and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.

He stated that while it was government’s responsibility to provide the enabling environment for investments to thrive and create employment opportunities, citizens must play their part by supporting government policies and programmes to ensure continuity and sustainability.

In an overview of the project, Executive Director, Link Development, Dr Kassim Gidado, said the occasion marked the beginning of a bold vision and dedicated realisation of a huge project milestone, and the cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Gidado explained that the centre was designed to provide, among other facilities, recreational spots, educational institutions, conducive residential accommodation, worship centres, shopping malls, a free trade zone, and a green corridor, all targeted at creating a city within the city of Abuja.

On behalf of the partners, he expressed the deep appreciation of all stakeholders to the president and the FCT management for the realisation of the Abuja City Walk project, designed to be among the best and iconic investment destinations around the world.

CEO of BroadGate Development Group and Project Manager of Abuja City Walk, Peter John Young, said the project would usher in a new era of global urban design.

Young assured that the firm would work with the Nigerian government to deliver its envisioned destination for the Abuja Walk city, which has the potential to redefine urban development in Africa.