Tinubu arrives India, holds first meeting with Hinduja Group CEO
By Bola Adebakin
Undeterred by jetlag from a long intercontinental journey, President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, arrived in New Delhi and held the first meeting with Gopichand Hinduja, Chairman/CEO of the Hinduja Group of Companies.
The conglomerate holds a total asset portfolio exceeding $100 billion U.S. Dollars, according to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Presidential Spokesman.
Ngelale said the President received the Indian Industrialist within 90 minutes of arriving in India for a meeting, which began around 8:00 pm local time.
Accompanied to the meeting by Nigeria’s Ministers of Finance, Trade & Industry, and Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian leader made it clear to his first visitor that he is in India with one focus to attract investments to Nigeria with lucrative opportunities for investors, but most essentially, jobs for Nigerians and new revenue opportunities for Nigeria’s federal and sub-national governments.
“We are here for business. I am here to assure our friends and investors that there is no bottleneck I will not break. Nigeria will become one of the most conducive places to make good profits and create lasting jobs.
“With my support, nothing is standing in your way of enjoying the unrivalled opportunities presented by our massive market and the ingenious & hardworking nature of the Nigerian people. We are open for business,” the President firmly assured.
The Hinduja Group Chairman told the President that he witnessed his landmark effort as Governor of Lagos in turning a coastal erosion and water encroachment crisis into a massive free trade zone where industry thrives. He said this was partially responsible for his excitement to partner with Nigeria’s new President to create win-win prosperity for Nigeria’s talented population.
“We believe in you as a leader who has done this before. You know what the challenges are. You know how to fix them. I will invest billions of dollars under your leadership because you have already addressed the systemic problems. I am ready now to sign an MoU and to begin execution. You tell me who to liaise with,h and we will get to work immediately, particularly concerning bus and automobile manufacturing in Nigeria, amongst other areas,” the Industrialist enthusiastically stated.
The President directed the relevant Ministers who accompanied him to the G20 summit to ensure they followed up on the guest’s excitement.
“Ministers of Trade and Finance, the two of you will follow this up immediately, and you will draw up the terms to the satisfaction of both parties. If there are any issues at all which require my intervention, they must be brought to my attention immediately.”
Afterwards, the President assigned the task of agreeing to the two Ministers in collaboration with Hinduja Group Executives, who were present in the room.
“I have had paperwork stalled in Nigerian bureaucracy for over one year, especially in FCT, but I knew that you would be purpose-driven in this endeavour, and God will help you to turn Nigeria’s rich promise into a rich reality for all of its citizens,” the Indian Billionaire concluded.
The President concluded that his task of making Nigeria great can only be achieved through teamwork and not in isolation, noting that when his investors are happy, adding that “Nigerians will rejoice by partaking in an inclusive economy where hard work is rewarded and where excellence becomes the reputation of the nation.”
