Oyedele Hails Tinubu’s Aggressive Investment Drive as President Projects $20bn FDI for 2026; Calls for ‘Africa First’ Trade Strategy in Kigali

The 2027 transition cycle may be approaching, but President Bola Tinubu is keeping his foot firmly on the economic accelerator. Speaking from the “technical trenches” of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali today Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, declared that Nigeria has finally found its “Chief Marketer” in a President who refuses to let a single investment opportunity slip by.

According to Oyedele, the Tinubu administration has moved past the era of “mere promises,” presenting instead a “credible portal” for global capital backed by deep-seated reforms. In a bold “technical rescue” of the national economy, the President told a room of over 2,800 business leaders that Nigeria is set to swallow nearly $20 billion in foreign investments this year. This “Value-Addition” surge is attributed to the recent production tax credits and the stabilization of the country’s macroeconomic indicators.

“Mr. President is never tired of marketing Nigeria,” Oyedele told journalists in Kigali. “He has the credentials to demonstrate what has been done and a commitment to show even more compelling results.” The Minister emphasized that the focus is now on high-impact sectors like power and solid minerals—areas where Nigeria is looking to move from being a “raw material exporter” to a “processing hub.”

The President’s message at the forum was one of “Africa First.” He urged fellow leaders to stop acting as “scavengers” for foreign interests and instead build a “security shield” around the continent’s resources through regional collaboration. Tinubu’s proposal for a continental commodity exchange platform is being viewed as a “digital-age” manual for African prosperity, designed to ensure that the 54 nations of the AU trade with each other before looking elsewhere.

As the Kigali summit continues into Friday, the “aura” around the Nigerian delegation is one of renewed confidence. With a declining debt-to-GDP ratio and external reserves hitting $45.5 billion, the administration is betting that its “no-nonsense” approach to bottlenecks will make Nigeria Africa’s most compelling investment destination. For the “chief marketer” and his team, the goal is simple: turn every diplomatic handshake into a factory, a power plant, or a port that works for Nigerians.