Business
Don Charges Tinubu On Better Int’l Business Deals

Towards improving the financial status of Nigeria, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Research and Strategic Partnership, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi (SAN), has called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to appoint competent and capable individuals who can negotiate best deals and mobilise adequate international and domestic finance for the country into his cabinet.
The professor of Law and President of the International Law Association said the in-coming administration should mobilise resources locally and international to address the huge infrastructure deficit, bridge the financing gap and enhance socio-economic development.
He made the call at Ikere-Ekiti during the second symposium of ‘Nigerian Bar Association, Ikere Ekiti Young Lawyers’ Forum’ with the theme, ‘Nation building and international financing – A legal perspective’, which was organised to celebrate his achievements as the youngest academic SAN.
“Africa has a huge financing gap including Nigeria; we have a lot of projects that need to be completed – good roads, education, healthcare etc, but we simply don’t have the money.
“In this situation, what do other countries do? They negotiate and try to get the international community to give them the best deal.
“In international law, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate. So, it is imperative for us to send the best minds that can negotiate the best deals for us.
“Mobilising adequate international and domestic finance should therefore be the urgent focal point of our international diplomacy, especially in the incoming administration”, he said.
According to him, “Many times, Africa is cheated at the international stage including Nigeria because we simply go there not with the best minds.
“We need people that understand the intricacies of international law to be able to go there and negotiate the best deals to fight climate change, eradicate poverty and to provide for our societies and people the required modern energy sources and infrastructure to lead a decent life.
“I am impressed that the incoming administration has been tagged as dream makers; we need to see that in action by getting the best deals abroad to build our roads and finance other infrastructure projects and to make our society better”.