Temitope Ajayi: On an Unending Quest to Drive Foreign Investment to Nigeria

With Nigeria’s plan to woo over N19.5 Trillion worth of investment to the nation during the just concluded United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, the Chief Executive Officer of the Silicon Valley Nigerian Economic Development, SVNED, Inc., Chief Aminat Temitope Ajayi, spoke to Sunday Ehigiator about her investment drives for Nigeria, and the importance of foreign and diaspora investment in its development

Chief Amina Temitope Ajayi (aka Mama Diaspora) is a US-based Nigerian business consultant who is an accountant by training, a social entrepreneur, and an ardent community activist. 

She was the former President of the All Nigerian American Congress (ANAC). Her efforts and continued advocacy on the Nigerian Diaspora issues have earned her in the media the moniker “Mama Diaspora”.

Chief Ajayi is well known for promoting women’s empowerment and poverty eradication in Africa through Agri-business. 

Through the Arkansas-Nigeria investment forum and other bilateral economic forums in the US, Chief Ajayi’s tenacity and genuineness have been very instrumental in convincing and attracting a lot of key investors in the agri-business from the US to Nigeria.

She is the Founder/CEO of the Nigerian American Agricultural Empowerment Program (NAAEP), which engages in the Agricultural empowerment of farmers, women and young adults in Nigeria to increase food sufficiency and sustainable employment for women and youths in the agricultural sector.

NAAEP has been a grassroots organization that trains and empowers farmers in mechanized farming systems, while facilitating business loans, accessibility to farm implements, and the harvesting and marketing of their end product both locally and internationally.

Chief Ajayi is an Ambassador of Goodwill for the State of Arkansas and Maryland, USA, and was a distinguished delegate at the past 2014 Nigeria’s National Conference, where she represented the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) in Nigeria and served in the Confab’s Committee on Agriculture.

Speaking with THISDAY, Ajayi, also known as ‘Mama Diaspora’, said her investment drive for Nigeria came alive after President Tinubu delivered a powerful message at the recent Economic Summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America.

According to her, President Tinubu encouraged investors and diasporans to invest in Nigeria and assured them of the commitment of his administration to provide a good environment for investment growth and profitability.

Ajayi said she played prominent in the conception and approval of the Diaspora Commission. She said that the commission should be a veritable channel to galvanise diasporans, ensure their welfare and growth, and attract investments to Nigeria.

She stated that diasporans are strategic to the development of their countries of origin, as according to them, the encouragement of development through their financial remittances to their countries.

The SVNED boss said, “I am a mother and the Mother of the Diasporians. India became India because of their Diasporans. Ghana made substantial progress because of their Diasporans. Egypt became Egypt because of the Diasporans.

“I remember when we formed the Diasporans. That was 2002 when I was the President of All the Nigerians in the US (ANAC), when Baba Olusegun Obasanjo gave me that name, Mama of all the Diasporans.

“I worked so hard. I fought for the Diasporan Commission at the National Conference of 2014 when I convinced the world of the importance of the Diaspora Commission and the Diasporans’ voting rights. History will never forget me. I fought for the Diaspora Commission to be approved.

“I was one of those people with the former Chief of Staff, Prof. Agboola Zulu Gambari, who was the chairman of the Diaspora Committee at the National Conference. That prayer I worked for was approved by the conference. Since 2014 till date, I have always been an advocate of the importance of the Diasporans to the development of their country.

“Any nation that knows the importance of the Diasporan will succeed. Are we talking about diaspora remittances? They hold the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of this nation. Everybody knows, but sometimes I sit down and cry because what we worked hard for was not utilised.

“I listened to the speech of our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the United Nations. He appealed for foreign investments. That was part of his renewed hope. And I made up that even before he came to the US, I went soliciting foreign investors.

“In America, I consult for 4500 companies. I know the language of investors, but when you do not have the power or authority, you are just on the wayside. I am a member of the Forbes Business Council. All we are talking about is business. I came because I am part of this renewed hope government. I am very passionate about Asiwaju’s government. By the special grace of God, people like us in the private sector will support him to another level.

“Asiwaju’s speech rekindled the interest of investors in Nigeria. That was what touched their heart. He spoke to the world as a father who has genuine interest and concern for his people. That is why many investors are desirous of investing in Nigeria.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend most especially the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite. I respect her. This woman stood and waited for these investors in her car at the Nigerian Embassy till 10 p.m. I could not believe it.

“Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Honourable Dele Alake, I respect him. He was very passionate. He gave a listening ear to the investors who wanted to mine lithium and gold.

“He assured them of his cooperation. Minister for Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, told the foreign investors that he could not wait for them to come. I shed tears. That boosted them.

“Minister for Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, one of the investors, said that he has already invested much in Nigeria and that he is ready to invest more. He told the minister. The minister was excited and promised him his cooperation.

“Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta C. Edu and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris graced the economic summit.

“They were very excited when they heard the volume of investment the foreign investors wanted to bring to Nigeria. The Minister for Information witnessed the signing of the MoU for the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and electric and solar buses where they made my company the sole distributor for Africa.

“They are ready to come and train all the Nigerian graduates on the dynamics of the buses. They are ready to build all the charging stations and maintain them for the next year. They are also coming to invest in agriculture.

“One of them told me that he is going to invest millions of dollars in agriculture. People are even giving us their land to farm for free. Some have given us 24 hectares and 70 hectares.

“The Governor of Kwara, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, who is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, was so excited about attracting foreign investors to Kwara

“Some of these investors want to establish a lithium battery factory in Nigeria and an assembly plant for the buses in Nigeria. They told the ministers that they did not need us but were bringing their money to support Asiwaju’s government.

“As of today, the foreign investments committed is nothing less than $19.4 billion. This is just the first phase. By the special Grace of God, because we have the land, money and some governors and ministers have shown interest.

“I will say that President Bola Tinubu is blessed to have such people in his cabinet. Asiwaju spoke to the Diasporans, and I keyed into it.”