Follow the link to 234next: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5738300-146/okonjo-iweala_meets_us_investors_over_nigerian.csp

Here we go again, putting the cart before the horse. When are we going to realize that these guys are capitalists not charity organizations, if they see $$profit in Nigeria, THEY WILL FREAKING COME! Instead of fixing our issues and building infrastructure that promotes business, we're calling them to come do the same thing the oil companies have done in Nigeria: Make humongous profits, pay their staff and the "monkeys" in government peanuts, destroy the environment, then move on to the next well.
The only "financier" or investor who would chose Nigeria over the BRIC countries is one with sinister motives that involves making money in chaos.

poster, you are an ignorant buffoon. NO country develops in isolation, even the US needs foreign investors too.Okonjo iweala has done well, we need more of this.

Okonjo-iweala has done really well to get such investments into Nigeria to mop up alot of our unemployed graduate and experienced work force. Think of the infrastructure development dis companies will bring to the areas dey locate. The Ngozi economics is something Nigerians are yet to comprehend. Great Job.

^ You're being rude mister. If you read my post clearly, I never said we don't need investments, I'm only advocating that we should focus on fixing ourselves first, then we will attract responsible investors who are willing to fund long-term and sustainable investments (just like in the BRIC countries). And please forget the US comment, because it's not relevant to my logic!

^^ So we should fold our hands and wait until Nigerians decide to shelf tribalism before getting some sort of business presence and infrastructure development. Okonjo is on the moving side, Sir.

@bliss4lyfe, my comment was for "chambers" but in response to your comment, all I have to say is that we also have "business presence" in the Niger Delta, what has that done for us? Besides making money for the oil companies and our corrupt government, and employing a few of us in middle-management, how has that solved any of our problems.

This is the problem when you don't put your house in order before inviting foreigners to "come and chop": they will exploit you! Imagine how different the Niger Delta and/or Nigeria will be if we refined all the oil we used and even sold to neighboring countries. Have you ever asked yourself who's benefiting from the lack of refineries in Nigeria? The oil companies are having a field day exploiting us, and the same thing will happen everywhere else if we don't put our house in order.

Look at every other so called "investments" in Nigeria and tell me if they're really adding value or just exploiting us!!!

whatever may be the case, the blame is on our ignorant and selfish leaders. The same oil firms are operating in other parts of the world, yet we we hardly hear of such negative situations.

@chambers, so now u're proving my point for me. They behave that way in nigeria because they know the country's in chaos. So, by inviting more people to come for the feast (regardless of the small economic gains) without fixing the inherent problems with the polity, then we're not actually developing but being exploited!!!

OneONYX:

@bliss4lyfe, my comment was for "chambers" but in response to your comment, all I have to say is that we also have "business presence" in the Niger Delta, what has that done for us? Besides making money for the oil companies and our corrupt government, and employing a few of us in middle-management, how has that solved any of our problems.

This is the problem when you don't put your house in order before inviting foreigners to "come and chop": they will exploit you! Imagine how different the Niger Delta and/or Nigeria will be if we refined all the oil we used and even sold to neighboring countries.  Have you ever asked yourself who's benefiting from the lack of refineries in Nigeria? The oil companies are having a field day exploiting us, and the same thing will happen everywhere else if we don't put our house in order.

Look at every other so called "investments" in Nigeria and tell me if they're really adding value or just exploiting us!!!

The truth is the western powers invented Nigeria and choose the ethnic group to rule Nigeria based on their Energy interest in the Niger Delta. The big idea here was that using the North primarily as cover, the oil wealth of the south could be looted easily with nobody claiming landed rights. Today, we no longer have a Northerner or Southwestern President but a Niger-Deltan President and dat goes a long way to correct many of the injustice meted out to the people of that region. Dis has nothing to do with inward investment in Nigeria.

we still need foreign investors, it may not necessarily be in the oil sector. We need to take the unemployed youths off the streets. Infact, we need to attract as many as possible. Lets keep this idea of western subjugation behind and move forward.