ActionAid Nigeria Calls for Reform in Investment Treaties

ActionAid Nigeria has raised concerns regarding outdated agreements and investor-state dispute settlement systems across Africa, which they argue allow investors to protect their rights while undermining national interests. Dr.

Andrew Mamedu, Director of ActionAid, emphasized these issues during a two-day national policy dialogue in Abuja, Nigeria, focusing on the country's bilateral investment treaties. The discussions highlighted the significant fiscal and financial risks posed by existing agreements, particularly in Nigeria's extractive sector.

Mr. Celestin Okwudili Odo, representing the head of program policy, noted the critical need to review the investment governance framework to attract foreign direct investment while ensuring that agreements safeguard national interests and preserve policy space for human rights and labor.

Tijah Bolton Akpan, Executive Director of Policy Alert, described the current bilateral investment treaties as outdated and biased in favor of investors, arguing that the investor-state dispute settlement system often sidelines the interests of host countries.