Security May Hamper WEF Summit Attendance In Nigeria

 

The state of security in Nigeria may cast a looming shadow on the attendance of the coming World Economic Forum (WEF) in the nation’s capital, Abuja as some business experts scheduled to attend the forum have expressed in attending the forum.

One of them is Brand South Africa who in a letter signed by its CEO Miller Matola said the “Brand SA team will not be travelling to Abuja due to the inability to secure additional security services for our delegation."

Although Matola says "South Africans travelling to Nigeria can expect to be reasonably safe although they should exercise due caution and vigilance," he pointed out that Brand South Africa’s own delegation "was also not allocated accommodation in any of the WEF-accredited hotels and will therefore not be able to use official WEF transportation."

Another high-level delegate, Fernando de Sousa, the GM of Microsoft Africa Initiatives, cancelled his trip "for security reasons following the bombings in Abuja", Business Day reported.

Nigeria has been under series of violent attacks from Islamic militant group, Boko Haram in the past few weeks following the mass abduction of over 200 school girls in Borno state and two-separate car bombings at the Nyanya Parkm in Abuja which left hundreds of people dead and injured.

This has heightened security concerns even as the United State Department on its website warned that radical Islamists plan to attack one of two Sheraton hotels near Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub.

However, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has assured guests and residents of their safety with thousands of police and army personnel on the streets of the capital, Abuja.

Schools and government offices in the capital will also be closed for security purposes while restrictions are already in place at airports in Abuja and the financial capital, Lagos.

The event, also known as "Africa's Davos" is scheduled to hold between Wednesday to Friday after being a virtual fixture in Cape Town.

With the theme "Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs", Nigeria's government hopes to demonstrate its potential to overseas investors as a place to do business especially with its new-found status as Africa's biggest economy and leading oil producer, whose sustained rates of high economic growth have caught international attention.

The forum hopes that greater co-operation between countries in terms of trade, innovation, investment and strengthened institutions can unlock the continent's potential.

The WEF is expected to have more than a thousand people in attendance including African presidents, top business people, Africa experts as well as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as part of his first tour of Africa since taking office last year.