By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

The Federal Government on Thursday called on investors, both foreign and local, to take advantage of Nigeria’s economic potential to invest in the country.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oluwole, made the call at the third edition of the Digital Innovation and Creative Excellence (DICE) gathering in Lagos.

DICE is a tech ecosystem mixer organised by Beyond Limits, a pan-African organisation at the forefront of driving digital transformation, excellence, and growth in individuals and organisations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2025 Edition of DICE had the theme: “Scaling Right: From Market Entry to Market Leadership.”

Oluwole noted that Nigeria offered a wide range of investment opportunities, including digital trade, mining, solid minerals, manufacturing, agribusiness and clean energy.

She said that the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, including providing support for Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) and startups.

“We are focused on making Nigeria an attractive destination for investors, and we are working tirelessly to remove any bottlenecks that may hinder investment,” the minister said.

She also highlighted the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which Nigeria signed in 2019.

Oluwole said the agreement aimed at creating a single market for goods and services across Africa, promoting economic integration and cooperation among member states.

“Nigeria is well-positioned to benefit from the AfCFTA agreement, and we are working to ensure that our businesses are competitive and ready to take advantage of the opportunities the agreement presents.

“The government has inaugurated several initiatives aimed at promoting investment and economic growth.

“These initiatives include the National Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).

“These initiatives are designed to provide support for investors, including providing information on investment opportunities, facilitating business registration and licensing, and offering incentives for investment,” she said.

Oluwole urged investors to take advantage of these initiatives and to explore the many investment opportunities available in Nigeria.

“We are committed to creating a business-friendly environment that supports investment and economic growth, and we look forward to working with investors to achieve this goal,” the minister stressed.

In a welcome address, the convener of DICE, Dr Juliet Ehimuan, said that Africa’s technology sector held immense potential for national and continental growth.

Ehimuan said that, however, the sector faced significant challenges, including high operational costs, infrastructure deficits and fragmented regulations.

She highlighted the importance of creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, citing the need for policymakers to develop supportive regulations and infrastructure that facilitated growth and expansion.

According to her, the DICE Business Series is designed to bring together stakeholders from across the African technology ecosystem to share knowledge, build partnerships and drive growth.

The convener said that the conversations and insights shared during the event would be compiled into a report and made available to stakeholders, with the aim of driving innovation and policy development. (NAN)