Maersk has denied President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the Danish shipping conglomerate had promised to bring an additional $600 million worth of investment into Nigeria.
A statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s spokesman, had said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, A.P. Moller-Maersk had committed to a substantial investment aimed at expanding the capacity of Nigerian ports.
But Maersk has countered the assertions, saying, “No such agreement is in place, and no deals have been signed,” the firm’s spokes-person told Lloyd’s List, an online publication.
According to Lloyd’s List, the $600 million investment is to be news to Maersk.
The confusion arose following a meeting between Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of A.P. Moller-Maersk, and President Tinubu. While confirming the meeting, Maersk emphasised that it was part of routine discussions with Nigerian officials and did not result in any investment commitments.
“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to developing opportunities for people, port sector, and businesses locally.” How ever, it clarified, “We are not able to comment on any investment talks at this stage.”
