Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has appointed Sa’id Kori as the pioneer chairman of the Borno State Investment Promotion Agency (BOIPA) governing board, a move aimed at driving the state’s economic transformation and positioning it as a thriving investment hub.
The appointment, formalised following the enactment of the BOIPl Law, 2026, places Kori at the strategic intersection of policy and capital, tasking him with translating the state’s economic ambitions into bankable realities.
Kori’s diverse background has prepared him for this moment. With degrees from FUT Yola, University of Salford, and University of Liverpool, he’s uniquely equipped to drive Borno’s investment growth.
As the chairman and group CEO of Thinklab Group, he has personally structured over $200 million in complex infrastructure financing, from Sukuk bonds to blended finance models specifically for housing, healthcare, and roads.
In his previous role at Family Homes Funds, he was the engine behind the delivery of over 15,000 affordable housing units nationwide, a model desperately needed in Borno. His current role as chairman of the Nigeria Food Corporation aligns directly with the state’s agro-industrial ambitions.
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“Governor Zulum has not just appointed an administrator; he has hired a financier-in-chief and a deal-maker,” Ibrahim Sani, a development economist based in Abuja, said in a statement made available to BusinessDay on the appointment.
“Kori’s expertise in pulling together multilateral funding, DFI partnerships, and private capital is the missing piece Borno needs,” Sani noted.
“He doesn’t just understand investment theory; he has a proven ledger of getting massive, complicated projects financed and built,” he added.
Kori has worked across 34 countries, gaining expertise in development models, financing, and investment strategies. He has lectured at the University of Liverpool and Yobe State University, and held board positions at BIM Africa and Fulus Capital.
Despite his international profile, he is deeply committed to Nigeria’s Northeast region. His investments include the Maiduguri Economic City, the Teachers Village project, and Bakassi GRA rehabilitation, demonstrating his personal stake in Borno’s development.
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The timing of Kori’s appointment is significant, as Borno State stands at a crossroads with relative stability achieved under Governor Zulum’s administration, creating an opportunity to pivot from humanitarian relief to sustainable economic development, with the challenge lying in attracting the private capital required to finance this transition.
“When an investor sees a figure like Kori, with his international reputation and demonstrable success in structuring complex deals, agreeing to lead this charge, it changes their risk calculus,” said Tunde Lawson, an investment banker with a focus on frontier markets.
“It assures them that their proposals will be understood by a professional peer, not lost in political manoeuvring. This single appointment boosts Borno’s investment credibility exponentially.”
