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Interview:
Corporate Nigeria (CN) talks to
Dr. Bamanga Tukur, President African Business Roundtable & Chairman NEPAD Business Group
Promoting Investment and a Common African Market - Offering Abundant Opportunities
CN: Dr Tukur, you have had a long and distinguished career in Nigeria, culminating in your work with NEPAD and the African Business Roundtable (ABR). Please outline NEPAD’s role in the development of infrastructure in Africa.
Dr. Bamanga Tukur: NEPAD has been able to focus institutions like AfDB in the development of Strategic Regional Infrastructure - e.g. Transit Corridors, Power Pools, Gas Pipeline and Transnational Rail system and integrated transport system.
Please explain a little more about your role within NEPAD.
ABR leads the NEPAD Business Group through which it carries out :
– Advocacy for Private Sector Development under the NEPAD Initiative
– Promotes inward investment into African Countries
– Representation (providing a voice) of the African Private Sector is important
– Facilitating Networking between African Private Sector and other constituencies (Public & private sectors of other continents; civil society and development partners
– Enhancing Regional integration using the platforms of the Regional Economic Communities
– Sensitizing, Mobilizing and engaging the rural (grassroots) communities in NEPAD Plan of action through establishing NEPAD Business Groups at Country levels.
How do you see Nigeria’s economy developing over the next five years?
There is a deliberate, focused and committed effort by the present administration of President Yar Adua to make Nigeria one of the 20 biggest economies in the year 2020 – (Vision 20-2020).
– Nigeria will be a dominant exporter of Oil/Gas
– Industrialization to account for 15% or more of the GDP
– Gas will overtake Oil as a major income earner and source of Foreign reserve
– The Reform of the Solid Mineral Sector will create multiplier effect and spur economic growth and diversification
