By Nik Ogbulie (in Algiers)
Feelers made available to Moneyreport that Nigeria looks good to host IATF27, on the sidelines of the media welcome cocktail hosted by the organisers of the IATF25 were confirmed this afternoon by the Advisory Board of the IATF at the opening ceremony of IATF, who announced that Nigeria has been ratified as host for the 5th round of the event.
The feelers which were debated by a group of journalists at threù attracted some mixed feelings based on the country’s usual cantankerous elections which will be holding the same year. While some believe that it’s very attention and concentration would be disrupted by the political activities which will obviously attract the attention of over 200 million people.Another group believed that Nigeria’s hosting of IATF since inception in 2018 has been overdue since its three major contenders of political and economic leadership in Africa have all taken their turn and one has even taken a second round.
It’s is not yet known what bouyed the country’s bid ahead of others, but there are strong indications that since IATF still needs support for a sustainable inroad in the continent and beyond, the continents bests must begin to do the needful so that the rising perception of the new African economic initiative will remain high. An anonymous West African executive of a multinational noted that Nigeria was billed to have hosted the event but for lack of will of the past administration.
However, Nigerians have welcomed the development with a lot of gusto, calling it a very strong political gain and an admirable economic integrity effort at a time he claimed that Nigeria sincerely need to insist that it would not want to play a second fidle any more.
With Egypt, South Africa and Algeria done with hosting, Nigeria courts undue criticisms if it fails to encourage the growth. They also see the development as an opportunity to erase the backlash that trailed her poor briskmanship in claiming the hosting of the headquarters of AfCFTA few years ago to Ghana, a loss that was identified to have also been her reason for strongly clutching the hosting of the head office of Africa’s Energy Bank.
