Shettima to EU delegation: Hindrances to investment in Nigeria are gradually being eliminated

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu’s administration is gradually removing hindrances to investments in the country.

Shettima spoke on Tuesday when Gautier Mignot, the head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), paid him a courtesy visit at the State House, Abuja.

Shettima said President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to maintaining its strategic partnership with the EU.

“You are our natural partners and allies. Beyond the geography that binds us, we share a cultural affinity that dates back centuries,” the vice-president said, highlighting growing opportunities for collaboration in trade, investment, and youth empowerment.

“Some of the dysfunctions in the Nigerian economy — the opaque exchange rate regime and fuel subsidy — President Tinubu had the courage to remove,” he added.

“All the encumbrances to investment in this country are gradually being eliminated.”

Shettima described the recent opening of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) office in Lagos as both symbolic and strategic.

Nigeria officially became the 77th shareholder of the EBRD in February, following the bank’s phased expansion into sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our partnership with the EU extends beyond economics,” he added.

“I witnessed first-hand the EU’s vital role in stabilisation and humanitarian support in Borno.

“You deserve commendation, not condemnation. We will always stand by those who stood by us in our hours of need.”

The vice-president also spoke on migration cooperation, expressing satisfaction with ongoing engagements under the EU-Nigeria readmission agreement.

He also advocated for the revitalisation of youth-focused initiatives such as the Nigeria Jubilee Fellowship Program.

“There is a need to recalibrate the programme for the benefit of our young men and women,” Shettima said.

Mignot affirmed the EU’s desire for partnership, describing Nigeria as a country of priority for the bloc.