The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD)
yesterday ranked Nigeria Africa’s number one destination for Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa for the second time in two years.
The latest UNCTAD report, entitled, “Global Value Chains: Investment
and Trade for Development”, put Nigeria’s FDI inflows at $7.03billion
while South Africa recorded $4.572bn; Ghana, $3.295bn; Egypt, $2.798bn
and Angola, 6.898bn; among others.
According to the report, FDI inflows to African
countries went up by
five per cent to $50bn in 2012, though global FDI declined by 18 per
cent.
The report noted that most of the FDIs into Africa mainly driven by
the extractive industry, but said there was an increase in investments
in consumer-oriented manufacturing and services.
“Global FDI fell by 18 per cent to $1.35 trillion in 2012. This sharp
decline was in stark contrast to other key economic indicators such as
GDP, international trade and employment, which all registered positive
growth at the global level,” which was attributed to economic fragility
and policy uncertainty in a number of major economies, giving rise to
caution among investors.
It added that developing countries take the lead in 2012 for the
first time ever, accounting for 52 per cent of global FDI flows.
“This is partly because the biggest fall in FDI inflows occurred in
developed countries, which now account for only 42 per cent of global
flows.”
In 2011, Nigeria was ranked Africa’s biggest destination for FDI,
with total inflows of $8.92bn, South Africa followed with $5.81bn, while
Ghana received $3.22bn.
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