NEWS
14 States Burn N21bn On Foreign Trips With Zero Foreign Investments
In the past three years, a total of 14 state governments have allegedly expended at least N21.04bn on foreign trips, yet none of them has managed to attract foreign investments successfully.
The states includes; Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara
Despite the influx of $14.85bn from foreign investors into Nigeria between 2021 and the third quarter of 2023, these states have failed to secure a share in the foreign investment pie.
Between 2021 and 2023, a breakdown of expenses on foreign trips by several states reveals Bauchi spending N3.81bn, Bayelsa N1.99bn, Benue N1.33bn, Borno N1.73bn, Cross River N663.16m, Ebonyi N1.01bn, Edo N1.77bn, Gombe N32.09m, Imo N541.23m, Jigawa N1.10bn, Nasarawa N541.26m, Taraba N2.52bn, Yobe N1.24bn, and Zamfara N2.77bn.
Surprisingly, despite these expenditures, there is no tangible result or foreign investments to show for the funds, according to data extracted from state budget performance reports obtained from Open Nigerian States.
It’s worth noting that not all states provided complete budget performance reports, with some only covering two quarters in certain instances.
Kebbi is notably absent from the list of states receiving foreign direct investments during the reviewed period, and unfortunately, there is no available data on the amount spent by the state on foreign-related trips.
The overall absence of foreign investments in these states aligns with a broader decline in investments across the country, attributed to concerns related to insecurity and other prevailing issues during the same period.
The World Bank opined, “Net FDI inflows are negative, reflecting net withdrawals of equity by foreign investors. FDI and FPI flows into Nigeria do not compare favourably with similar economies of the world, reflecting difficulties with FX availability, security concerns, and other structural challenges in recent years.”
Several states mentioned in this report, including Zamfara, Jigawa, and Nasarawa, have been grappling with the scourge of banditry in recent years.
In Zamfara, for example, banditry has become pervasive, affecting almost 14 local government areas.
The situation has led to the abandonment of over 70% of farmlands in the state, with farmers fearing attacks by bandits.
Highlighting the impact on investments, in 2022, the Managing Director of Zamfara State Investment Cooperation, Dr. Anas Hamisu Lawal, pointed out that insecurity was a major factor hindering the attraction of investments into the state.
Lawal said, “The first question they always ask is the security situation in the state..They are willing to invest whenever the security situation improves.”
In 2022, David Olofu, the Benue State Commissioner for Finance, emphasized the significant impact of insecurity on states’ ability to attract investors.
He said “It is obvious that insecurity prevented many states from attracting investors in 2021. How many investors did the Federal Government attract?
“How will investors come even when citizens are not safe? How will investors come when citizens cannot themselves invest in their place?”
In the same year, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State announced a strategic focus on sectors such as technology, agriculture, and entertainment to attract investors to the state.
Despite these efforts, the state has not recorded any foreign investments in the past three years, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In 2021, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, disclosed that Governor Douye Diri was utilizing his foreign trips to attract investors, aiming to enhance the state’s economy.
He said, “We believe that we have procedures, and the governor deserves the attention he deserves to give to investors so that investors are brought to our state as no system that is not interacting with any other system can be very effective. What makes an economy a viable economy is the external investment into the economy.”
The mentioned states continue to face a dearth of foreign investments.
Discussing this situation, Professor Akpan Ekpo, a specialist in Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo, explained to The PUNCH, “They are not importing capital for two reasons. First, they don’t have potential investors who will do that. Secondly, there is insecurity in the country. Those things are not fertile ground for investments.”
An ECOWAS Common Investment Market consultant, Professor Jonathan Aremu, added, “It’s simple. It’s because they don’t have attractive factors.
“The factors that attract foreign investment are not available in those states. One thing about investment is that it is crisis shy.
“Investment doesn’t go to places where there are crises. Why? Because investors want stability and predictability in their investments, particularly, having returns on their investments.” he added
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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