As President Muhammadu Buhari heads to Washington DC, to attend yet another international public function (Nuclear Security Summit), Nigerians are still in the dark when he will fulfil his "Change" promise to them.
The president has not failed at any given opportunity to say that the reason for his frequent travels is to attract foreign investors to the country. While this is a welcome reply, considering the high rate of unemployment in the country, a look at the World Bank statistics would shock one and make one have a change in heart.
The World Bank has indicated in it's 2015 report that while Nigeria prides itself (self-deceit) as the largest economy in Africa , it is ranked at No.185 out of the 189 countries whose data was collected for ease of property registering . What this entails, is that Nigeria is slightly better than only four countries in the world when it comes to the ease of registering properties. To add more light , Nigeria is again ranked at No.169 out of 189 countries in the ease of doing business. This means that , it is far much stressful and difficult to establish , incorporate and and run business operations in the country. To make it lighter, such social vices like insecurity , inadequate power supply, corruption, death trap roads, inadequate basic infrastructure , in ability to access credit lines and finally epileptic financial sector are all to blame.
As a result of these, foreign firms find it difficult to locate their operation bases in the country, even preferring to do so in other smaller neighbouring countries like Benin and Gambia.
What this clearly shows is that, our problems are internal and inherent, hence it is a waste of time and resources wooing foreigners when we have not fixed these problems. All these vices or irregularities listed above cannot be fixed by foreigners and can only be done by the government . It is on this basis that the frequent foreign trips of the president is subject to public scrutiny, mockery and criticism.
How can the president woo investors when our country belongs to the "Worst 25 Countries" to do business in the world and the "Worst Four Countries" to register a property in the world?
Therefore, while it is crystal clear that it is unattractive to foreigners to do business in Nigeria, yet instead of concentrating to see it fixed , our amiable president is doing the opposite , busy globetrotting in self-denial in the name of wooing investors.
As President Muhammadu Buhari continues this trips without fixing these problems , it is clear to all that he really has sinister reasons for his continued trips that is not related to his constant replies.
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