NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK – Yesterday the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) hosted the Vice President of Nigeria Kashim Shettima for a business roundtable focused on economic and regulatory strategies bolstering U.S.-Nigeria commercial ties. Vice President Shettima was joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Youth Development Jamila Ibrahim. Executives were also joined by U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Deputy CEO Nisha Biswal.
Organized in partnership with the American Business Council Nigeria and the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the roundtable also featured the formal launch of the new U.S.-Nigeria Business Initiative.
Describing his country as “[having] unrivaled investment opportunities, and strategically positioned as the gateway to the African market,” Vice President Shettima declared, “The take-away for all of you is there is a paradigm shift in Nigerian business climate. Nigeria is now open for business.”
DFC Deputy CEO Nisha Biswal said, “Nigeria is one of DFC’s largest portfolios in Africa with around $1 billion committed across 19 active projects. Our success in Nigeria is the result of our partnership with the private sector, where we can stand with entrepreneurs and companies to build effective businesses and projects that deliver for the Nigerian economy and people.”
“Nigeria’s bold economic reform agenda, advancing under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, continues to enhance U.S. investor confidence and attract more private investment to Africa’s largest democracy,” said Kendra Gaither, President of the USAfBC. “Today’s dialogue explored further expanding these investment and trade ties, including through our new U.S.-Nigeria Business Initiative, dedicated to unlocking bilateral commercial opportunities and addressing regulatory hurdles to investment with a focus on five thematic priorities: digital economy; agriculture and sustainability; health and wellness; infrastructure & energy; and banking & financial services.”
Today’s roundtable is part of the U.S. Chamber’s dynamic programming at UNGA, which includes 18 high-level conversations with top government officials, with over half being meetings with heads of state and government, from countries including Ukraine, Türkiye, Egypt, the UAE, Colombia, and Kuwait.
Learn more about the Chamber’s engagements at UNGA.
