Emmanuel OchayiIn an exclusive interview during his trip with President Tinubu to the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Tony Elumelu, the renowned Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, made a statement that reverberated through the business and political spheres.
Elumelu who is the chairman of Heir Holdings expressed his profound admiration for President Tinubu’s significant appearance at NASDAQ to ring the closing bell and shed light on the immense implications of this symbolic gesture.
“Today is extremely symbolic for us as Nigerians. We should be very proud. We see our president come to New York, we have had many presidents in the past who have come for UNGA but they do not pay this kind of attention to coming to a place like this,” Elumelu began, underlining the significance of President Tinubu’s presence at UNGA78.
Elumelu continued, “This is symbolic because it helps people know that our leader supports business is ready for business, and will create the enabling environment for business to succeed.”
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With conviction, Elumelu emphasized the global competition for business capital and the pivotal role leadership plays in attracting it. “There is so much global business capital looking for the right investment destination. These capitals will go to where they are most welcome,” he stated.
Elumelu highlighted the impact of President Tinubu’s visit to NASDAQ, stating, “Seeing the president of Nigeria coming to New York, NASDAQ to ring the closing bell says a lot. Show he is a man who means business. He is a pro-business. We need a man who is pro-business leadership to take Nigeria to the next level.”
The business mogul underscored the importance of confidence and trust in attracting foreign investments. “It is all about confidence and trust. Those who have confidence in Nigeria’s economy, confidence in our leadership, and the money we need in Nigeria to develop our country drive infrastructure, to even improve our foreign exchange rate will come to the country.”
Elumelu expressed his personal commitment to this cause by canceling other engagements to be with President Tinubu during this momentous occasion. “I am very happy.
That is why personally I canceled some other engagements to be with the president. It is very symbolic and it is good. It is very welcome. Our government should do so,” he stated.
He emphasized the need for concrete actions to follow this symbolic gesture, stating, “And when we get back home our government should match it with action to make sure the promise we made to foreign investors is sustained. What is good for foreign investment is good for local investment. We want to see a vibrant economy in Nigeria. To achieve that we need to create an enabling environment.”
Furthermore, Elumelu reflected on the importance of President Tinubu’s interactions with global business leaders, saying, “To me, it is symbolic that our president is here to meet with business leaders, and global business leaders, and coming to ring the bell shows that there is a matter that is important to him.”
Drawing from his extensive experience in the private sector, Elumelu likened the transformation of Nigeria to a business turnaround. “I speak as a private sector person whose credentials are a business turnaround. I know how to turn business around. I can tell you that what we are doing in Nigeria is that we are trying to turn the country around,” he affirmed.
Elumelu encouraged patience, focus, commitment, discipline, dedication, and a medium to long-term approach to achieve this transformation. “Short-term is very tough. What is very important is for everyone, the president and the team to stay focused and keep on doing what can transform the Nigerian economy,” he concluded, leaving a strong message of optimism and determination for Nigeria’s future economic growth.
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