By ~ Sa’id Alkali Kori, PhD
My fellow citizens of Borno, our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, and the global community of investors, I address you today in my new capacity as the Chairman of the Borno State Investment Promotion Agency (BOIPA) and Chief Investment Adviser to His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Borno.
I come with a simple message: Borno is open for business.
For too long, the world has known our state only through the lens of conflict. But we who come from this soil know a different story. We are the descendants of a great and ancient kingdom, heirs to a legacy of commerce, scholarship, and enterprise that once made the Sahara a highway of trade, not a barrier. That spirit, that age-old honour and dignity, has never left us. It has only been waiting for its moment.
That moment is now.
This transformation has one author: His Excellency, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, CON, Executive Governor of Borno State. Under his leadership, we have moved from a narrative of survival to a strategy for growth. While the world remained focused on yesterday’s headlines, Governor Zulum has been quietly, systematically rebuilding our state from the ground up. He has not waited for investors. He has not hoped for prosperity. He has worked.
Today, because of His Excellency’s vision, destroyed schools have been rebuilt and new ones constructed, bringing children back to the classroom. New vocational centres and skills schools have been established, equipping our youth with trades. Millions have been disbursed directly to small businesses, injecting capital into our grassroots economy. Flyovers, New roads and bridges now connect our farming communities to markets. Partnerships have been forged to revive our free trade zones, positioning Borno as the gateway to the Lake Chad Basin economy.
This is not a government asking for trust. This is a government showing results.
The foundations for this new economy are not just promises; they are law. We have enacted the Borno State Investment Promotion Agency Law, creating BOIPA as your gateway and guide. We have simplified our regulations through the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms, cutting red tape. We have developed the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investments to ensure our growth benefits both investors and host communities. The scaffolding for our economic future is in place.
To the people of Borno, to the traders in our markets and the youth in our vocational centres: you are the first and most important investors. This campaign is for you. It is a call to believe in your own enterprise. Your Governor has built the roads and the schools; now it is your turn to build the businesses that will bring them to life.
To the Nigerian and international investor, I say: look at Borno with fresh eyes. See a state bordering three nations, a gateway to the entire Sahelian economy. See an agricultural powerhouse with millions of hectares of arable land, waiting to be cultivated. See a place with mineral resources, a young workforce, and a government actively seeking partnership through transparent Public-Private Partnerships.
On this foundation, I now assume my role. And I make this pledge: BOIPA will be a one-stop shop that actually works. We will guide you from inquiry to groundbreaking with professionalism. We will remove obstacles, not create them. We will ensure that every investor who comes to Borno finds a partner in government.
This is an invitation to be part of one of the most compelling economic revival stories of our time. From the revitalization of our agro-processing industries to the development of our free trade zones and the harnessing of our solar energy potential, the opportunities are as vast as our state itself.
Let the world know: the ancient heart of commerce is beating once again. Borno is not just recovering; we are rising. We are building a self-reliant Borno, a productive Borno, a Borno that is truly open for business.
The infrastructure is built. The reforms are law. The people are ready. And the Governor has done his part.
Now, Borno is open for business. Join us.
Dr. Sa’id Alkali Kori
Chief Investment Adviser to the Governor of Borno State.
Chairman, Borno State Investment Promotion Agency (BOIPA)
#InvestInBorno #BornoIsOpen #zulum #BOIPA
