President of Woodhall Capital, Mrs. Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, says the firm is targeting to raise at least $50 billion in global investments to support subnational and national development projects across Nigeria.
Speaking on the sidelines of a forum “Facilitating intra-African Trade and Investment: Unlocking The Potential of African Direct Investments (ADI) and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) For Sustainable Growth” organized in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Hunponu-Wusu outlined an ambitious multi-city investment roadshow aimed at unlocking financing for large-scale infrastructure and energy projects through strategic partnerships in London, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
She noted that Woodhall Capital has raised $6 billion over the past 11 years and is currently working on a single $1 billion transaction, one of several major deals in the pipeline captured within the newly launched “Investopedia” platform, which showcases an estimated N10 trillion worth of investment-ready projects at the subnational level.
“We’re working on a single $1 billion transaction at the moment. If one deal is worth that much and it’s not even one of the main ones, you can imagine the scale of opportunities within Investopedia,” she said.
Hunponu-Wusu revealed that the first leg of the roadshow in London aims to raise no less than $10 billion, while Dubai, focused on private sector financing, is expected to yield at least $20 billion, leveraging the prevailing low-interest environment in the Middle East to secure favourable terms for Nigerian states.
She added that discussions with the UAE government in Abu Dhabi, which is leading on government-to-government funding, have opened the door for potentially securing $50 billion in commitments.
As part of this engagement, Woodhall Capital has pledged to open an office in Abu Dhabi by the end of the year to deepen international investment relations.
“We said to them, if you invite us, we’ll open an office in Abu Dhabi. And we told them, if we do that, you must put $50 billion on the line. They said, ‘Come, let’s talk and see how we can work together,’” she disclosed.
On the institutional framework supporting subnational investments, the Director General of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Audi Mustafa highlighted the role of the Council and its State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, funded by the World Bank, which works closely with all 36 state governments to improve the business climate.
“Nigeria is ready for investment. Our subnational governments are ready. Our governors are excited about expanding the scope of investments within their states and creating an enabling environment for both local businesses and foreign direct investment to thrive,” she said.
The PEBEC DG praised the coordinated efforts of the Nigerian government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and young private-sector leaders in projecting Nigeria as a prime investment destination.
“It’s a great time to be Nigerian. It’s a great time to invest in Nigeria. The market is open, and the commitment from the President, the Vice President, and the subnational governments is clear,” she stated.