Saudi Arabian clean energy company, VEGO Energy Solution (FIBO Energy Solution), has expressed strong interest in partnering with Nigerian businesses to accelerate the country’s transition to clean energy, as Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for deeper economic cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day Nigeria-Saudi Investment and Tourism Exhibition in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of VEGO Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Alzubair, said the company is committed to building long-term strategic partnerships that will promote technology transfer, local manufacturing, job creation and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Alzubair, who also serve as a member of the Saudi-Nigerian Business Council, conveyed the goodwill of the Council’s Chairman, Engineer Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qahtani, and disclosed that the chairman would soon visit Nigeria to strengthen bilateral business relations.
He commended the organisers of the exhibition for creating a platform that brings together investors and business leaders from both countries to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.
According to him, Nigeria’s rapidly expanding economy presents enormous opportunities for clean energy investments, particularly in electric vehicles, battery storage systems and smart energy solutions.
“We believe cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria is a real opportunity to build quality clean energy projects that transfer technology, create jobs and achieve sustainable development,” Alzubair said.
He added that VEGO is not merely seeking customers but strategic partners for joint ventures in manufacturing and distribution, describing Nigeria as a strategic gateway for Saudi investments into Africa.
“We see great promise in technology transfer and localisation through joint ventures. This enhances local value addition and opens new doors for Saudi investment across Africa,” he noted.
Also speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the President’s Adviser on Export Expansion and Secretary of the Halal Economy Strategy Implementation Committee, Aliyu Bunu Sheriff, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Saudi Arabia.
He said the Tinubu administration has prioritised export diversification, investment promotion and private sector-led growth, while positioning Nigeria as Africa’s hub for the global halal economy valued at over $7 trillion.
The Vice President noted that Nigeria offers significant opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, tourism, logistics, technology and renewable energy, assuring investors of government support through enabling policies and institutional reforms.
On her part, NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the exhibition as a practical demonstration of diaspora-led economic diplomacy capable of unlocking new investment opportunities for both countries.
She said Nigerians in Saudi Arabia played a major role in attracting Saudi investors to Nigeria, stressing that the country’s diaspora community possesses the expertise, networks and investment capacity required to drive national development.
Dabiri-Erewa urged investors to look beyond existing stereotypes about both countries, noting that Nigeria is home to highly skilled professionals and abundant investment opportunities.
She explained that the exhibition was designed to promote business-to-business engagement in sectors including energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, tourism and digital technology, while encouraging reciprocal investments between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The NiDCOM boss expressed confidence that discussions and engagements during the exhibition would translate into concrete investments, industrial partnerships and increased trade capable of creating jobs and strengthening economic relations between the two nations.
