1977 was the year; the year Nigeria stunned the world when it successfully hosted the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in Lagos its former capital.
In 2003 and 2009 she followed it up by hosting All African Games (COJA for a second time) and the FIFA Under 17 World Cup competition. All these helped in placing the country on the same page with nations that have all it takes to host global events within their territories.
Today, history is about to repeat itself. The giant of Africa that is also the most populous black nation in the universe is about pulling another stunt that will keep mouths agape for many months with an expo tagged Nigeria-German Investment and Cultural Expo.
And this time unlike in 1977, 2003 and 2009 when the events were held in Nigeria, the forthcoming expo will hold in Berlin, Germany.
Conceived by Salute Nigeria Initiative, under the auspices of Nigerian-Global Investment and Cultural Exhibitions, a private concern that is the brain child of Ambassador Chielo Ojirika the coordinator and Sir Mike Okiro, retired inspector general of police, that chairs the initiative.
The duo strongly believe that the current reforms programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is all that the nation needs to take her rightful position as the giant of Africa; reforms that all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation must not only support but help to propagate them.
The theme of the expo is “Unlocking Nigeria’s Investment Potentials for Industrial Revolution” with sub title “Cultural Exports: Key Opportunities for Foreign Direct Investment.”
The planning for the expo Orijika said, started way back in 2023 after the immediate former German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz’s, two-day working visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
” It was as a result of the German Chancellors’ visit and our believe in President Tinubu’s reforms that we got the idea of NGICE as our own contribution towards making Nigeria great again”, Ojirika said.
According to him, the idea of taking the expo abroad is to show Europeans the good things Nigeria has. “That Nigeria is not about Kidnapping, drug, or yahoo. That a lot of good things are available here in Nigeria. It is like the saying, ‘if Mohammed cannot go to the mountain, the mountain will go to Mohammed’.
That is exactly what we want to do with NGICE; that we have potentials in the mining sector where our Minister, Dr. Dele Alake, is doing great. That our potential in the blue economy is second to none. That our musicians, actors, footballers, authors are world beaters any day. These are what we want to showcase to the world in Germany during the month-long event”, Ojirika further said.
Ojirika who is known in the music world as Chiboy, the Black Courage, and who is partly based in Germany and Nigeria, said that he has lived long enough in Europe to discover that there is nothing so special about the western world that made them industrialised countries except that they have good leaders and law abiding followers that pay their taxes and obey the law. Leaders like Tinubu that can see tomorrow today, thinking and acting leaders that make difficult decisions.
” That is just the difference. We have hardworking and technically gifted people in this country that can change our fortune. We have them in all parts of this country and thank God the present government is discovering them”, he said.
But why the choice of Germany as the hosting country we sought to know from him.
Hear his response. ” First of all, remember the importance of Nigerian-German economic and bilateral relationship, And again recall that I lived for so many years in that country and have seen what made them great after the world war. It is an orderly country, well industrialised with lots of investors that will readily cash in on the opportunities to invest here, which we will showcase during the expo. I have no fear about that”.
NGICE, he said will showcase these and more to the world. And to get this done, Ojirika said they need federal government’s assistance in the area of logistics support to pull the expo through.
And in order to pull it through, Ojirika said that they have long embarked on visitations to government officials who make things happen in the present government of President Tinubu.
Preaching the gospel of NGICE to them to solicit their support and that of the president. Together with Sir Mike Okiro, he has visited the Secretary to Federal Government (SGF), Senator George Akume, whom he said has been of great personal help to NGICE team by providing them administrative support that has made it possible for them to reach out to some ministers. Akume he said sees the expo as his baby.
Other ministers the NGICE team has met in the course of their visitation includes the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tugger, met former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Dora Uzoka Anete, Barr, Hanattu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Ambassador Annette Gunter, German Ambassador to Nigeria, current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, former Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Art Culture Tourism and Creative Economy, Dr Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, now Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Director General, Voice of Nigeria, Jubrin Baba Ndace, Chairman National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and most recently, Dr Warrens Bekearedebo Augusta, Permanent Secretary Political and Economic Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF, the team has also met the Executive Governor of Bornu State, HE Governor Babagana Zulum.
And for a wall to wall global coverage of the expo, NGICE only last week signed an MoU with the global Catholic Church electronic media, CTV. A television station with one of the largest media outreach in the world.
NGICE is prepared, NGICE is ready to help place Nigeria on the centre of the world. To join President Tinubu in telling top world investors that Nigeria is safe for them to come and invest.
