Tony Elumelu rejected by Buhari and ELEVATED by Kenya's Kenyatta

Tony Elumelu rejected by Buhari and ELEVATED by Kenya's Kenyatta

Nearly two dozen US lawmakers and 200 American investors joined US President Barack Obama on his trip to Africa. Much of the president’s visit is focused on boosting business and security ties with Kenya, a growing economy grappling with the threat of terrorism.

In contract, President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Washington DC last week in his official visit to the United States with an official entourage of 33 politicians including his son Yusuf, but included no businessman of note. Not even his kinsman and african number one businessman Dangote was included in Buhari's trip.

President Obama met Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu in Kenya to discuss how American money and interests can come to the continent, not as GIFTS but as investment and opportunities. Yes. ELUMELU is from Delta State and considered Delta Igbo. He is from the region that did not give Buhari 97 percent.

During Buhari's visit to USA, a journalist asked him why no mention was made of the Niger Delta (the region that produces Nigeria's oil and an epicenter of militancy) during his trip, the Nigerian president answered:

"(Going by election results), constituencies that gave me 97% can not in all honesty be treated, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me 5%. I think these are political realities. While, certainly there will be justice for everybody but the people who voted, and made their votes count, they must feel the government has appreciated the effort they put in putting the government in place. I think this is really fair."

L-R: US President Barack Obama in conversation with Tony O. Elumelu CON, Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, at the summit.

Elumelu was invited by the White House to speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi on the topics of innovation, navigating the funding cycle and entrepreneurial hubs. Kenya is abuzz with excitement at the proverbial homecoming for President Obama.

Tony Elumelu had launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) and seeded this initiative with $100 million of his own money. He has been spending his money to bring in investors to Nigeria in different sectors including automobile building and assemblage, Buhari did not include such investor in his trip to the U.S.

A commentator Ena Ofugara pointed out the difference between Buhari's predecessor, Ex President Goodluck Jonathan "coming to America and going to New York Stock exchange and coming with businessmen and not the Oshiomoles and Amaechis and people we do not know their use and talents; with Buhari's coming to America with a beggars beggy-beggy mentality."

He showed investor mentality of Jonathan's/Igbos/Dangote versus Civil service/ beggybeggy/ mentality of Buhari and he told Nigerians that America and Obama do not care for beggars but for investment opportunities and their betterment.

President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2013, visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and rang the closing bell. During the visit, he met with NYSE Euronext executives and visited the NYSE trading floor.

During his visit to Kenya and Ethiopia (he spurned Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy again) US President Barack Obama heralded Africa as a continent “on the move” Saturday as he opened a US-sponsored business summit in Kenya, the East African nation where he has deep family ties.

“Africa is one of the fastest growing regions of the world,” Obama said. “People are being lifted out of poverty.”

Oil, aid and security still dominate the US relationship with Africa, but American business is waking up to the chance to tap into world-beating growth rates.

“Major American companies and funds are realising that the opportunities in Africa are significant — particularly given growth rates that are shaping the continent,” said Donald Gips, co-chair of the Africa Business initiative at the US Chamber of Commerce, who is attending the events in Nairobi.

“These are largely new markets for the US and the visit [from Mr Obama] is a very big step: US business will follow in the wake of it.”

Obama speaks at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the United Nations compound in Nairobi, Kenya last weekend. He was joined onstage by Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya's president. Speaking at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Saturday, Obama announced more than US$1 billion new commitments from the US government, as well as American banks, foundations and philanthropists. Half of the money will go to support women and young people, who Obama says face bigger obstacles when trying to start businesses. Photo: AFP 

US investment in Africa is slowly picking up. In the past three years, the US private equity giants Carlyle, KKR and TPG have announced their first forays into the continent, investing in a variety of projects. A plethora of American corporates, from GE to Google, have also boosted their African presence, with many choosing Nairobi as their hub.

So far, the cornerstone of US trade relations with the continent has been the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which has permitted tariff-free imports of African-made products since 2000. But it has floundered under Mr Obama. The total value of US imports from Africa fell to $14.2bn last year, down 47 per cent on 2013. Only 31 per cent is non-oil, and even that is down 10 per cent on 2013.

Nearing the end of his second term, Mr Obama is now trying broaden business relations, and many people hope last month’s 10-year Agoa extension will give nascent African manufacturing a new foothold.

“We need to grow faster and we need more investment; we need more trade, and we need more infrastructure. So I think the focus on economic trade and infrastructure by this administration is spot on,” said Amadou Sy, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative.

African business leaders are nonetheless hoping that Mr Obama’s historic weekend trip to east Africa’s twin economic powerhouses, Kenya and Ethiopia, signals growing US interest in Africa’s most promising economies.

“I would like to see even more American investors coming to take up some of the many opportunities in different sectors,” said Moses Ikiara, head of the Kenya Investment Authority, citing openings in ports, roads, rail and electricity generation as well as Kenya’s ailing tourism sector.

Buhari went to America to beg for aids, and left Nigeria businessmen at home because he is clueless about the economy and Business investments, he is only interested in boko haram and probing Jonathan's government. This has left Nigerian economy in limbo.

In Buhari’s entourage were Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Adams Oshiomhole, Kashim Shettima, Rotimi Amaechi, Alhaji. Aliyu Ismaila, Ambassador. A.A. Musa, Ambassador. G.B. Igali, Aliyu Yahaya Gusau, Dr. Mahmud Mohammed, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Ismaila Isa Funtua and Dr. Suhayb Sanusi Rafindadi, among others.

Buhari traveled to America with this clueless entourage and came back with nothing but photos, yet his camp are all over the social media celebrating his multiple photos with President Obama as proof of a successful trip. Apart from photo opportunities, President Obama did not offer anything new to his visitors.

How long will we loose our best opportunities to other countries because of a lack of intelligence, smart leadership or just fear of the growth of other regions (Lagos metro trains cancelled by Buhari in 1984.) How long will our best brains go to Kenya to meet Obama?

N.B: The 5 years of Jonathan's government has one assembling/making cars. What if other administrations had allowed and continue to allow other brilliant tribes of Nigeria, be it minority or easterner grow to their potentials?

Related Stories:

• Buhari doesn't understand a whole lot about governance - US officials denounce Buhari after a disappointing visit
• Buhari's visit to Washington: a diplomatic somersault
• [Video]: I will pay 97% attention to those who gave me 97% vote - Buhari bares his FANGS and undemocratic CHANGE

- Daniel Elombah