The Federal Government has said that the Government of Saudi Arabia pledged to invest in revamping the country’s refineries to get them working and reforming the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This was made known in a press statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday.

Idris said the pledges were made by the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, at a bilateral meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh.

The statement read, “The Crown Prince hinted that the refinery investments in Nigeria will be led by the Saudi state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, with the revamp to be completed within a two- to three-year timeframe.

“The Crown Prince also expressed appreciation to Nigeria for its active participation in and support for OPEC+.

“To support the Central Bank’s ongoing reforms of Nigeria’s foreign exchange regime, the Saudi Government will make available a substantial deposit of foreign exchange to boost Nigeria’s forex liquidity.

“Prince bin Salman commended the economic reforms being implemented by President Tinubu and expressed the commitment of the Saudi Government to supporting these reforms and enabling Nigeria to reap the full benefits.

“According to him, Saudi Arabia is very eager to see Nigeria thrive under President Bola Tinubu and realise its full potential as the economic giant of Africa.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu thanked the Saudi leader for the proposed investments and pledged that Nigeria would ensure judicious management and oversight, adding, “We will work together over the next six months to develop a comprehensive road map and blueprint to deliver on the agreed investments and outcomes.

The statement further read, “Also, President Tinubu and Crown Prince bin Salman spoke on the need to strengthen security cooperation to mitigate terrorism, illegal migration, and other crises, not just in Nigeria but across West Africa and the Sahel region.

“The two leaders further discussed existing economic and socio-cultural cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia and agreed to open new vistas in bilateral relations.

“In addition to these, Prince bin Salman also highlighted Agriculture and Renewable Energy as areas of investment interest for Saudi Arabia in Nigeria to help the country attain food and energy security, respectively.

“The bilateral meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Yahaya Lawal, and the state Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Adekunle Adeleke.” (The PUNCH)

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