We will engage investors for infrastructure development’

Global Property Partners (GPP), a consortium of firms with diverse interests in real estate and infrastructure development, has disclosed that this year’s infrastructure summit will be used to engage global institutional investors.

The Managing Director/CEO of GPP, Mr. Emmanuel Odemayowa, said that the event will also focus on creating avenues that generate sustainable income and wealth through global partnerships.

“The value of Nigeria’s total infrastructure stock (road, rail, power, airports, water, telecoms and seaports) represents only 35per cent of GDP, as against peer emerging market countries average of 70per cent)”, Mr. Odemayowa continued, adding that “The issue of infrastructure development in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized till we get it right,” he said.

Among the highlights of this year’s event will be the first Infrastructure Award Night in Nigeria during which private and public sector professionals as well as institutions that have contributed significantly to infrastructure development in the country will be recognized and honoured.

The summit, which is coming after the maiden edition of the event held last year in Lagos, will attract leading international and Nigerian professionals in the infrastructure business from across the globe as well as top government functionaries and policy makers.

He said several critical issues relating to infrastructure financing and the creation of an enabling environment for infrastructure development in Nigeria were discussed extensively last year and that the organization of this year’s event in Abuja was to make for a more robust and meaningful exchange of ideas between the public and private sector on the way forward for this sector in the country.

The GPP Boss further said the Infrastructure summit was part of the company’s efforts to promote global best practice in the infrastructure sector in the country, given Nigeria’s vast economic potentials.

According to the company, the maiden GPP edition last year was a huge success, attracting key players in the infrastructure finance and development industry.

The speakers and guests included Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri; Lagos State Commissioner for Works & Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs & Diaspora, Abike Dabiri Erewa; Chief Commercial Counsellor US Embassy to Nigeria, Brent Omdahl; IMF Chief/Senior Resident Representative in Nigeria, Amine Mati and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Imeh Okon.