Nigeria, UAE explore opportunities as Woodhall Capital unveils investors’ forum

Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are eagerly making plans to explore the limitless business opportunities present in both countries.

This was the talking point at a business forum organised by the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Lagos and financial advisory firm in Nigeria, Woodhall Capital recently in Lagos, according to a statement.

Themed “UAE-Nigeria: Investors’ 1st Meeting”, the objective of the forum was to create a platform for the government of the UAE to meet with top and carefully selected members of the Nigerian business community.

The founder of Woodhall Capital, Moji Hunponu-Wusu, in a statement, revealed to the top business leaders that the government of The UAE believes in Africa and is willing to continue supporting the continent.

“Woodhall Capital is a financial services firm, which raises international funding for banks, corporates and governments. We set up in 2014 and the story of why we’re here began in 2020, when we took the leap to open an office in Dubai.

“We then decided at one point during COVID-19 to set up in Dubai, and just look at what it has taken us—four years under that; we raised just under half a billion dollars from the support that Dubai and Middle East banks have given to Woodhall Capital, believing in this Africa that so often the rest of the world has pulled out on. As a matter of fact, we closed a $150 million transaction last Friday with a corporate here in Nigeria.

“The UAE government has decided that it would collaborate, not only with Woodhall Capital, but they are looking for captains of industry. And when we were given the brief to put this forum together, they wanted to show that if they can collaborate with us, they’re willing to have discussions not only with us, but they are also interested in the clients we represent,” she stated.

While adding that the forum is an avenue for an open discussion about the best of Nigeria and Africa, Hunponu-Wusu also announced that the UAE government has welcomed the firm to open in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

In his speech, the Consul General of the UAE in Lagos, Abdulla Al Mandoos, revealed that Nigeria is a key West African country with many opportunities and challenges.

“I firmly believe that with the esteemed individuals gathered here today, we have an opportunity to accomplish significant achievements for both the UAE and Nigeria. Our vision is to engage with Nigeria and explore how we can contribute further to the growth and development of both countries,” Al Mandoos said, according to the statement.

The Consulate General of the UAE in Lagos also stated that the UAE government has prioritised humanitarian activities and attracting FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). It has also identified Nigeria as a key and strategic partner because of esteemed investors like yourselves and several investment indicators, thus making the Consulate in Lagos and the Embassy in Abuja an extension of this objective.”

While, the Consulate General is the official contact point assigned by the UAE government to help carry out its activities in Nigeria, which include economic, cultural and humanitarian endeavours. However, it was emphasised that the consulate is also tasked with facilitating investment between Lagos- Nigeria and the UAE.

In his words, the founder of A2Energy Limited, Abdul Abiola, believed that the forum provided a platform for the exchange of ideas from masters in different industries and that the UAE’s partnership with Nigerian businesses would go a long way in fostering innovations useful to both countries.