…Zulum Pledges Business-Friendly Reforms for Investors By Abdullahi Alhassan The United Nations, European Union, German Govern...
…Zulum Pledges Business-Friendly Reforms for Investors
By Abdullahi Alhassan
The United Nations, European Union, German Government and other development partners are supporting efforts to attract private investors to Borno State to create jobs and help displaced families rebuild their livelihoods.
Speaking at the third Borno State Private Sector Engagement and Investment Roundtable on Thursday in Abuja, representatives of the United Nations, the EU, and the German Embassy pledged continued support for the state’s recovery through investment.
Governor Zulum’s administration began the initiative with a roundtable in Lagos, focusing on financing bankable projects and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, followed by a second in Kano centred on agriculture, livestock, fisheries and infrastructure.
Over 50 prospective investors attended the Abuja roundtable.
Representative of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Nigeria, Thembekile Dube-Nanbe, encouraged partners to turn the Borno investment roundtable into action.
“Let us identify viable investment opportunities, mobilise capital, establish lasting partnerships, and commit to measurable results,” Dube- Nanbe said.
The EU Head of Human Development, Laila Ben Amor Mathieu, said the Union had stood with Borno through its most difficult years, providing humanitarian assistance and supporting stabilisation and recovery.
“Grants and public budgets alone will not finance recovery at the scale Borno needs. Private capital must play its part, and the role of us partners is to make that possible,” Mathieu said.
She explained that investors could support the proposed Borno State Durable Solutions Trust Fund or pursue commercially viable projects backed by incentives, including access to land, industrial hubs and tax measures.
Mathieu urged businesses to select projects for closer review, partner with local companies and create opportunities for women and young people.
“Borno is becoming an investment story. The European Union is proud to be part of it,” she said.
The Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Dr Karen Jansen, commended Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for restoring communities, rebuilding infrastructure and public services, and opening the state’s economy to investors.
She encouraged investors to sustain their commitments as the economy grows, assuring the state of Germany’s continued support.
“Mobilising private sector investment, including through blended finance, will be essential to complement development cooperation and support Borno’s sustainable reconstruction,” Jansen said.
…Zulum Pledges Business-Friendly Reforms for Investors
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has urged private investors to take advantage of business opportunities in the state, assuring them of government support and simpler administrative procedures.
Zulum represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe, Zulum said improvements in security and ongoing reforms were helping Borno move from emergency humanitarian assistance towards economic recovery.
He invited businesses to invest in commercial farming, livestock production, fisheries and manufacturing, while encouraging financial institutions to expand credit for small enterprises.
“Government’s role is to build the foundation, establish the security, and create the regulatory framework. But the private sector is the ultimate engine of wealth creation, job opportunities, and lasting prosperity,” Zulum said.
He said the Borno State Investment Promotion Agency was simplifying procedures for investors, supported by land administration reforms, fiscal incentives and public-private partnership frameworks aimed at protecting investments.
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