Business
Ehi Braimah: Nigeria Investor Confidence Growing Even with Security Threats
Ehi Braimah says Nigeria investor confidence is rising as reforms attract capital despite security concerns and global economic pressures
Ehi Braimah, publisher and editor in chief of NaijaTimes, stated in Nigeria on Thursday, March 20, 2026, that Nigeria investor confidence is strengthening despite ongoing security concerns, as he assessed the country’s evolving investment climate during a televised interview on Sunrise Daily with journalist Maupe Ogun-Yusuf.
Braimah said Nigeria is increasingly positioning itself as a competitive destination for global capital, pointing to recent diplomatic and economic engagements tied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
He explained that the visit extended beyond ceremonial diplomacy and focused heavily on building structured economic partnerships designed to attract foreign investment.
Also read: Ehi Braimah Slams Politicians, Calls for Urgent Governance Reforms
A key highlight, according to Braimah, was a high-level investment forum organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria in collaboration with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, alongside Nigerian banks and international financial institutions.
He said the discussions reflected a deliberate shift in policy direction towards capital mobilisation and long term economic stability.
He noted that Central Bank Governor Yemi Cardoso played a central role in presenting ongoing reforms aimed at restoring investor trust.
Braimah described the engagement as a powerful signal to global markets that Nigeria is actively working to strengthen macroeconomic fundamentals.
Speaking on investor reaction, Braimah said sentiment at the forum was largely positive, dismissing suggestions of widespread scepticism among international participants.
He stated that discussions centred on reforms such as exchange rate unification and fuel subsidy removal, with investors focusing on long term opportunities rather than short term uncertainty.
He further disclosed that 52 Nigerian banks have now met revised capital requirements set by the Central Bank of Nigeria, with approximately 38 percent of inflows coming from foreign investors.
He said this development demonstrates a clear and measurable rise in Nigeria investor confidence within the financial sector.
Braimah acknowledged that while macroeconomic indicators such as foreign reserves and currency stability are improving, significant challenges remain at the microeconomic level, particularly regarding inflationary pressure, cost of living and poverty levels affecting households across the country.
He also referenced global geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel as contributing factors to rising energy costs worldwide, noting that Nigeria is not insulated from these external shocks.
On regional development, Braimah praised economic initiatives in the Niger Delta, describing them as a model for sub national capital mobilisation.
He urged other regions to adopt similar strategies to reduce dependence on federal allocations and stimulate local growth.
However, he warned that security challenges remain a critical concern. Citing recent attacks in Borno State and instability across parts of the North Central region, he said that while insecurity has persisted for years, it has not significantly halted investor inflows.
He added that there is a historical tendency for heightened insecurity around election cycles, raising concerns as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
He cautioned that political tensions must be carefully managed to avoid escalation and protect democratic stability.
Also read: Ehi Braimah Slams Politicians, Calls for Urgent Governance Reforms
Braimah called for stronger international cooperation, including enhanced security collaboration with the United Kingdom, noting that such partnerships were part of broader discussions during the recent state visit.
He said external support should be considered where necessary to strengthen national security frameworks.
Despite the challenges, he maintained an optimistic outlook, urging Nigerians to sustain a positive global narrative about the country.
He emphasised national unity and resilience, stating that economic progress must be matched with collective responsibility.
Cement price manipulation is under investigation by the FCCPC after a three-month study found Nigerian prices were high despite surplus capacity
Shoreline Group today announced that African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has approved a US$200 million facility in favour of Shoreline Power Company Limited and co-borrowers including Arkad S.p.A., Shoreline’s majority-owned engineering and construction platform.
Approved in June 2026, the facility was arranged and provided by Afreximbank as sole mandated lead arranger and lender. It provides bonding and working-capital capacity for Arkad’s delivery of the Hassi Bir Rekaiz project and supports Shoreline and its affiliates in developing further pipeline and infrastructure
projects in Nigeria and other permitted jurisdictions.
“This is a defining transaction for Shoreline and Arkad. We built Arkad as an African- sponsored engineering platform capable of competing at the highest level, and it is now delivering against a billion-dollar energy contract. Afreximbank’s US$200 million commitment gives the platform the financial strength to match its engineering capability and pursue further major infrastructure mandates. It demonstrates that African enterprises can assemble the capital, capability and partnerships required to compete for infrastructure at international scale.”
Hassi Bir Rekaiz Phase 2a Arkad holds 44 per cent of the approximately US$1 billion EPCCS-1 contract awarded by Groupement
Hassi Bir Rekaiz (GHBR) to an unincorporated consortium led by Egypt’s Petrojet, which holds 56 percent. EPCCS-1 covers engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and start-up for the Phase 2a central processing facility and related infrastructure at the Hassi Bir Rekaiz field in Algeria’s Berkine
Basin.
GHBR is the joint operating entity for the licence, held by Sonatrach with 51 per cent and Thailand’s PTTEP with 49 per cent. The project includes a new crude oil processing facility with capacity of 31,500 barrels per day, facilities for associated gas and produced-water treatment, approximately 217 kilometres
of pipelines and the brownfield modifications required to integrate existing Phase 1 infrastructure.
The facilities are designed to support later expansion to 63,000 barrels per day under Phase 2b.
“This financing addresses the instruments that determine whether an EPC contractor can execute at scale: performance guarantees, advance payment guarantees and working capital through the project cycle. Hassi Bir Rekaiz is a demanding scope, combining a new central processing facility, associated treatment systems, pipelines and brownfield integration. With Petrojet, and with the support of Shoreline and Afreximbank, Arkad is focused on disciplined delivery against the project’s safety, quality and schedule requirements.”
The transaction was structured under Afreximbank’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction Initiative, which supports African engineering and construction firms with the financial instruments required to compete for and execute large infrastructure contracts. Afreximbank also supported the Arkad-Petrojet partnership through its EPC twinning work at the Intra-African Trade Fair held in Algiers
in 2025.
According to Afreximbank, the transaction is its first support for a Sub-Saharan African contractor undertaking a major infrastructure project in North Africa. For Shoreline, it demonstrates a practical model for combining African ownership and capital with established international engineering andindustrial capability.
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