By Miriam Humbe
The Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMITI) on Monday, hosted the 2025 Domestic Investors Summit to chart a new course for domestic investment and sustainable growth.
Themed: “Operationalising Nigeria First Policy”, the one-day summit was anchored in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda.
The summit spotlighted the pivotal role of local capital, enterprise, and innovation in strengthening Nigeria’s economic resilience, inclusiveness, and global competitiveness.
The summit marked the unveiling of comprehensive strategies under the “Nigeria First” Policy to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Its core objectives hinged on the need to provide clarity on recent fiscal, monetary, and trade reforms shaping Nigeria’s investment climate and Africa’s regional approach to winning, share pathways to domestic and regional market growth for Nigerian businesses and deepen public-private collaboration on investment incentives and regulatory co-creation.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole declared open the summit and emphasized the critical role of targeted reforms across all sectors which are industrialisation, digitisation, creative industries, manufacturing, and innovation.
Dr. Oduwole said: “The Nigeria First Policy is how we will actualise President Bola Tinubu’s vision, turning ambition into productivity and productivity into global competitiveness.”
The Minister disclosed that government had inaugurated new textile parks, automotive plants, and food hubs within Special Economic Zones.
She said that these were aimed to create substantial foreign-exchange savings and large-scale job opportunities, positioning Nigeria as the manufacturing hub for ECOWAS and Africa.
The Minister said that key early wins included 24.75% increase in non-oil exports in first quarter of 2025, to the tune of $1.79 billion.
She explained that $6 billion came in combined foreign direct and portfolio investments, $6.5 billion in non-oil exports and 20% growth in trade value.
Dr. Oduwole said that no fewer than 200,000 jobs were expected to be derived from the export-led jobs.
She said: “There will be 200,000 export-led jobs.
“Through targeted roadshows and strategic engagements, we have already mobilised over $50 billion in investor commitments.”
“These partnerships strengthen investor confidence and reposition Nigeria as a credible, forward-looking investment destination.”
The Minister divulged that President Bola Tinubu mandated that the summit served as a focus-group session with domestic investors which is the very engine of Nigeria’s economy.
Represented by Dr. Blaise Ijebor, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso said the summit was essential in forging a conducive monetary and risk-management environment to attract both domestic and regional investors.
A panelist asked the Nigerian government to reconsider the issue of exporting the nation’s raw materials.
He said: “I will plead with the Nigerian government to stop exporting non- processed natural resources.
“Reason is that there’s no value addition when you do that”.
