It was rarely expected that President Muhammadu Buhari would reappoint a chief of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) who was once sacked over incompetence and ineptitude. But as the president announced that Saratu Umar would lead the commission again — after she was sacked by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 — staff and directors exercised hope there would be a change.
In a statement, Mr Buhari praised Ms Umar’s short period of service as the Executive Secretary, saying she transformed the NIPC into a world-class investment agency and minimised revenue leakages, saving N500 billion for the country. Ms Umar herself had pledged to be more committed to seeing the growth of the commission in her second coming.
“I reiterate that NIPC will be a strong public institution, with a private sector orientation that delivers effective and efficient services that exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the investment ecosystem and indeed, in Nigeria,” Ms Umar had pledged upon her resumption of duty.
