Lagos, Nigeria – The Chief Executive Officer of the American Business Council, Margaret Olele, recently presented key insights from the American Business Council Nigeria survey report on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria. Her presentation was delivered at the Existing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Roundtable, organized by the Office of the Vice-President of Nigeria in collaboration with The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Secretariat.
The event, attended by over 400 stakeholders, featured top government officials, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso; Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Foreign Affairs; Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs; and various heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), such as the Postmaster General of the Federation and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council. Several state governors and prominent industry leaders also participated in the high-level discussions.
During the event, the newly appointed Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment. The Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, provided an update on recent monetary reforms, emphasizing their positive impact on the Nigerian economy.
Olele, in her remarks, engaged with leaders representing chambers of commerce from the European Union, China, France, and Indonesia. She noted the increasingly pivotal role of Chambers of Commerce in supporting and advocating for the private sector amidst shifting global trade dynamics. With buzzwords like geopolitics, tariffs, geo-economics, diversification, trade rebalancing, and soft power diplomacy shaping global discussions, she stressed the need for strengthened collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive FDI inflows into Nigeria.
The roundtable provided a platform for key policymakers and industry players to deliberate on strategies to enhance Nigeria’s business climate and attract foreign investments, reinforcing the government’s commitment to economic reforms and trade facilitation.
