Joseph Bakare
Qatar is set to expand its partnership and business development in Nigeria after it found the country is fast becoming Africa’s investment destination.
Chairman of Future Union Group, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who dropped this impression pledged significant investments in key sectors of Nigeria’s economy to support the country’s development agenda.
Al- Thani, a member of the ruling family of Qatar, said this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that his organisation was eager to explore the vast business opportunities available in Nigeria, describing the nation as Africa’s future investment destination.
“We are happy to be in Nigeria. We are seeing new things here and new investments, and we believe Nigeria has a perfect future for us as a global group,” he said.
Dr Hassan Daghriri, Deputy Chairman, Future Union, said the level of commitment of the organisation to Nigeria would depend on the investments required by the country.
Dr Abdeljalil Sharaf, the Chief Executive Officer of Future Union, expressed optimism about Nigeria’s potential to attract meaningful foreign investment.
Sharaf said that Future Union was a multinational conglomerate with branches in more than 60 countries, including Liberia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, South Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, with its headquarters in Qatar.
He said that the group’s areas of focus included oil and gas, energy, construction, infrastructure, railways, communication, and transportation.
He further said that Future Union was also working closely with international banks and economists to strengthen investment collaboration across Africa.
Sharaf reaffirmed the company’s readiness to invest substantially in Nigeria’s economy, noting that Future Union was focused on identifying areas that aligned with its long-term vision.
“Whatever Nigeria can provide in terms of enabling environment, we are prepared to invest our minds and resources to build a stronger future for this country.
“The team is eager to commence operations and collaborate with key stakeholders to drive national development,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs Maral Godalazian, the International and Regional Director of Future Union, said that the company was in Nigeria under the patronage of Mrs Adebowale Odutola and its local partner, Prince Kaseem Odibo.
According to her, Future Union is committed to driving development through business partnerships, contracting and digital transformation projects.
Godalazian said that the organisation would work with global institutions to give an asset to this country (Nigeria) and fix the economy for a better future.
Mr Kaseem Odibo, General Manager, Future Union Nigeria, expressed appreciation to the Quatari investors for visiting Nigeria, describing their presence as a great privilege and a testament to the country’s growing investment appeal.
He said that Nigeria offered vast opportunities for meaningful partnerships across various sectors, and that the Future Union team’s visit demonstrated genuine interest in harnessing these prospects for mutual benefit.
He commended the partners for their confidence and assured that the company’s presence would contribute to national growth and job creation.
On her part, Mrs Adebowale Odutola, Chairman of Elan Vert Nigeria Limited, who hosted the visiting delegation, said the investment mission was a testament to Nigeria’s growing profile as a prime destination for global investors.
She said that Future Union’s entry into Nigeria would open new opportunities in multiple sectors, urging the government and private stakeholders to provide an enabling environment to accommodate such large-scale investments.
“My prayer is that Nigeria will be able to accommodate this enormous investment so that in the next ten years there will be nothing left to invest in.
“Then Nigeria will become the pride of everybody as the largest economy in Africa,” Odutola said.