Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Tuesday appealed to German companies to invest in Lagos State as a way of strengthening the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Germany.
Obasa, who made the appeal while receiving the Consular-General of Germany, Ingo Herbert, at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, noted the long standing relationship between the two countries.
He said this relationship should be consolidated just as he added that the interest of Germany in Nigeria cannot be undermined.
Obasa assured the consulate that Lagos would continue to provide the enabling environment and adequate security for investments in the state while the Assembly would always make investor-friendly laws.
“I want to urge you to bring your people to our country, especially Lagos to come and invest.
“We are assuring you of security of lives and property,” Obasa said, adding that the Consular-General’s visit came at the right time.
“Since you would be privy to our sitting today at the plenary, we would be screening and confirming some nominees of the Governor,” he told the guests, adding that the screening of the Governor’s nominees for various commissions and their subsequent confirmation by the state Assembly was a justification for the principle of checks and balances which Nigeria learnt from advanced democracies like Germany.
Herbert, accompanied by his Deputy, Santa Di Pasquale, said they had been in the country for the past six weeks as a way of ensuring better relationship between the two countries.
In his response to the Speaker’s request for investment, he disclosed that the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had made similar request.
Assuring Obasa of his country’s readiness to invest in Lagos, he said Nigeria and Germany shared similar characteristics in terms of federal structure, adding further that Germany had renewed her interest in Nigeria since the new administration came on board in May.
He said his country was planning some investments in Nigeria.
