General
Firm Launches US1 EB-5 Visa Investment Program in Nigeria
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A company known as Atlantic American Partners (AAP) has commenced helping potential applicants for the United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program in Nigeria.
This visa programme is a convenient way to assist potential investors in Nigeria to secure a hassle-free immigration process to live, work, and attend school in the United States, while also getting a reasonable return on their initial investment.
The EB-5 visa creates opportunity for foreign investors to invest in the United States and become legal permanent residents in the ‘God’s own country’ with a green card, along with several other benefits including the ability to travel to one’s homeland from the United States without a visa, ability to sponsor family members for a green card after becoming a citizen, access to low or no cost- high-quality primary and secondary public education; and thereafter public or private colleges and universities for participants and their children (21 years old and under, unmarried) at the same cost as US citizens.
Down the road, if the applicant desires, he can apply for US Citizenship and sponsor other family members to move to and live in America.
During a business meeting to attract investors from Nigeria, Managing Director of Atlantic American Partners, Mr Daniel Ryan, explained in great detail the EB-5 investor visa program, along with its remarkable benefits.
He stated that “the EB-5 visa was introduced in 1990 by the United States Congress and has since enabled a large number of families to live the American dream by granting them permanent residency through investments made in ‘trophy’ new commercial real estate investments such as luxury hotels, luxury rental apartments/flats, and most recently; high-quality student rental housing at American Universities.
“The EB-5 program requires each EB-5 investor to invest $500,000 in the United States with projects that Atlantic American Partners oversees as ‘trustee’ that will yield at least 10 permanent jobs, per applicant, for United States citizens.”
Mr Ryan also said it was important to note that “dual citizenship” between USA and Nigeria is available, adding another tangible benefit to invest in this program.
AAP partners with the highest quality property developers in the US. Annually, AAP reviews over 300 investment request submittals from high-quality property developers, and chooses only 3-4 per year, due to strict underwriting criteria and conservative financial strategic investing.
According to Mr Ryan, acquiring the green card under the EB-5 investment program is a two-part process, with the first step referred to as the “I-526” which is taking about 18-24 months at present for approval; after the $500,000 investment has been made, along with a $45,000 administrative fee payable to AAP which covers the cost to provide audited financial statements and all administrative needs for the investor throughout the entire EB-5 process, including quarterly newsletter updates. In addition, AAP will assist the applicant in hiring a top-notch international immigration EB-5 law firm, based in USA, that is familiar with African culture and provides excellent legal consultation and processing of the actual USCIS application documentation.
The immigration attorney will assist in filing the paperwork in this first step in the process, referred to as the “I-526”.
He said, “Following approval, a conditional green card is then issued, which provides the full benefits of an actual green card, pending in due time the job creation requirement is proven. After 21 months from I-526 approval, the investor with the guidance by AAP and the immigration attorney can file for the second part of the application process referred to as the ‘1-829’. Once the 1-829 application is approved, the conditional green card would then be converted into a permanent green card.”
Atlantic American Partners works for investors by engaging and investing in projects that will ensure job creation, thus enhancing the opportunity of permanent residency. AAP also offers investors an array of solutions to ensure a profitable and successful investment portfolio including a diversified fund model which enables an investor to own an equal share in a fund invested in multiple projects; not just one commercial real estate investment project, as many of AAP’s competitors provide, lowering the investment risk.
This unique model by Atlantic American Partners not only diversifies investment risk; but also precludes the loss of capital, which in turn helps investors get their money back with profit made through capital gains, along with a 2 percent annual interest rate paid to the applicant each year (equal to $10,00 per year), when the diversified properties held in each “fund” are liquidated (sold).
AAP is unique in the EB-5 investor visa industry by including a “sunset” clause in the investment document agreements that state it has the right to sell the assets no later than 6 years after the project has begun. This is another advantage to investing with Atlantic American Partners.
Atlantic American Partners is part of a 45-year old investment banking firm (www.ceaworldwide.com) that had been involved more than $40 billion in equity and debt transactions in a variety of industries and fields in over 100 countries around the world.
It commenced operations in Africa in early 2018 and has recorded tremendous success in South Africa, Kenya and Ghana; with numerous applications exceeding projection before coming to Nigeria.
To date, Atlantic American Partners has helped over 600 families with their EB-5 immigration process, completed successfully 29 projects, invested more than $300 million, and has a 100 percent approval rate on applicant I-526 and I-829 project immigration approvals.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has reaffirmed that electricity meters being deployed under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) are free for customers, warning Nigerians not to pay any money for meter supply or installation.
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, stated this in Abuja at a joint media briefing on DISREP with the managing directors of Nigeria’s 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). DISREP is financed through a $500 million World Bank facility.
The DG said the concessional nature of the funding, which comes at single-digit interest rates, makes it more sustainable than commercial borrowing and supports long-term stability in the power sector.
Under the DISREP IPF, 3.2 million smart meters are being procured and installed nationwide over four years through competitive international and local bidding. According to him, close to 700,000 meters have already been delivered, while about 200,000 have been installed across different DisCos.
The DG said, “With DISREP and other Federal Government interventions, the journey to power sector reliability is underway. DISREP is not just a short-term intervention, but part of a broader and coordinated plan of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, towards building a financially viable and service-oriented electricity market
“Nigerians deserve a power sector that works, one that delivers reliable electricity, protects consumers, ensures value for money, and supports economic growth.
“Together, we shall achieve that! The supply and installation of these meters for customers is free.
It was also disclosed that the government had already paid the contractors to supply and install the meters. DISREP is integrated with other metering initiatives, including the Presidential Metering Initiative and the Meter Acquisition Fund, to accelerate the closing of Nigeria’s metering gap.
On his part, the Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr Chijioke Okwuokenye, warned customers not to pay for meters.
“These meters are to be deployed and installed freely. Anybody asking you to bring money should be reported,” he said.
MD of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco), Mrs Wola Joseph-Condotti, said the company is working closely with the authorities to weed out bad eggs who extort money from customers for meter procurement and installation.
The programme offers significant benefits to consumers, including the removal of upfront meter purchase and installation costs, accurate billing, the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improved service accountability by DisCos, better transparency and dispute resolution, and long-term improvements in supply reliability as the sector becomes more financially viable.
For DisCos, Mr Gbeleyi said DISREP provides access to concessional World Bank financing for metering and network upgrades, reduces Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, improves liquidity and revenue assurance, and strengthens operational performance for long-term investment.
He disclosed that $250 million of the facility is dedicated to Investment Project Financing, which supports bulk procurement of the 3.2 million smart meters, deployment of Meter Data Management Systems, and provision of technical assistance and capacity-building programmes to strengthen DisCos’ operations and processes.
Describing DISREP as a landmark transaction, Mr Gbeleyi said it is the first initiative of its kind in which the government, beyond investing in distribution network infrastructure, is deploying meters at scale to bridge the country’s metering gap. He cited official figures showing that Nigeria currently has about 5.66 million unmetered electricity customers.
“The plan is to quickly close that gap. These meters are for everybody. They are for Nigerians. Priority is on unmetered customers,” he said.
He clarified that while the policy targets unmetered customers, DisCos have been allowed to deploy up to 20 per cent of the meters to replace faulty or technologically obsolete units, following feedback from the field.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has successfully concluded the review of the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) application, which is aimed at ensuring seamless handling and efficient resolution of stakeholders’ commercial disputes across the maritime sector.
The Head of NSC-ICT, Mr Benjamin Ivwigheghweta, and his team; the Head of the Complaints Unit, Mr Bashir Ambi and his team; as well as consultants from BrandOne, all collaborated to complete the platform’s final implementation stage.
Mr Ivwigheghweta expressed satisfaction with the successful integration of the revamped PSSP for streamlined dispute resolution. He encouraged the team to fully engage with the new system and to ask questions where necessary, ensuring that every member is well equipped to meet stakeholder needs with precision and efficiency.
On his part, Mr Ambi applauded the deployment of the PSSP as a tool for accelerating grievance resolution, adding that the platform would significantly strengthen the council’s dispute resolution framework by promoting transparency, boosting stakeholder confidence, and generating reliable, data-driven records to support national economic growth.
He further commended the ICT team for its unwavering support-particularly in ensuring extended network availability to support the Unit’s after-hours operations.
Describing the PSSP as a critical modern upgrade for dispute resolution, Mr Ambi revealed that the Council’s operations are now about 90 percent digital. “We rely heavily on electronic platforms to serve our stakeholders,” he said, adding that the ICT Unit has remained the backbone of these efforts by providing consistent support, even over weekends, to ensure uninterrupted online service delivery.
This digital-first approach, he noted, keeps the NSC at the forefront of maritime efficiency.
Following a productive three-hour technical review and interactive question and answer session, the PSSP is now in its final phase.
The next steps include the configuration of individual user access by the ICT Unit and a live demonstration of the platform to Management. Upon completion of these tasks, the council will be ready to go live-ushering in a new era of digital efficiency in port service delivery.
The Port Service Support Portal was officially launched by the former Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, in June 2016 in Abuja. The launch was held alongside the unveiling of the Port Harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The portal was designed as an online, real-time platform to enhance service delivery, address stakeholder complaints, and curb corruption at Nigerian ports.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has deployed an army battalion to Kaiama district in Kwara State after suspected jihadist fighters killed about 170 people in an overnight attack on Tuesday.
The terrorists stormed Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Council, according to Kwara State lawmaker, Mr Saidu Ahmed.
The violence highlights fears that jihadist factions prevalent in Northern Nigeria are pushing south along the Niger-Kwara axis toward the Kainji forest.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.
He condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” saying the gunmen targeted villagers who had rejected attempts to impose extremist rule.
“It is commendable that community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a belief that promotes violence over peace,” President Tinubu said in the statement.
The President urged collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide succour to members of the community and ensure that those who committed the atrocities do not go scot-free.
President Tinubu prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and condoled with those who lost family members as well as the people and government of Kwara State.
Similarly, suspected bandits stormed Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Katsina State, on Tuesday afternoon, killing several residents, injuring many others and setting vehicles and houses ablaze.
There were conflicting figures over the casualty toll, with police putting the number of deaths at 13, while the executive chairman of Faskari Local Council estimated more than 20.
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