Also available
The African Development Bank established The African Business Roundtable (ABR) in 1990. Please outline the ABR’s role in fostering economic growth and social development in Africa.
ABR has been building the capacity of MSMEs through entrepreneurship training and mentoring;
– Collaborating with other institutions to promote Good Corporate Governance and CSR
– Initiating programs and projects to facilitate through suppression of Non-Tarriff Barriers and Designing Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Please give us some more information about your role with the ABR, and what you consider your greatest achievements to have been.
Since assuming leadership of the ABR in 2001, I have strengthened the organization to make it relevant in private sector issues. The Status and profile of the organization has been greatly enhanced under my leadership leading to recognition by UN organs with MoU for collaboration signed with some notable institutions, such as ECOWAS, UNIDO, UNECA, and AU with special consultative Status granted by ABR by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council.
My greatest achievement is pulling ABR from its comatose status on my assumption of office to a position of global recognition and acceptance, that it was granted the privilege to be a voice for the global private sector and address the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 to present Private Sector position on ‘Role of Business in Meeting the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
Nigeria is one of Africa’s economic powerhouses, but its economy is still heavily dependent on the income from petrodollars in its oil and gas sector. Which areas are most in need of foreign investment, in your opinion?
– Infrastructure: namely: Energy (Power Generation and distribution); Transportation (Roads, Rail, sea and Air); Communication (Rural penetration and update in technology for better service delivery at affordable cost);
– Agriculture: 60% are employed in the sector, and it has more potential for rural development, employment generation and poverty alleviation.
– Building Export Trade Capacity of Non-Oil Exports
– Tourism
– Solid Mineral development
What incentives should be offered to make them more attractive to foreign investors?
– Fiscal Incentives and concessions
– Tax Allowances
– Guarantees and building the capacity of Institutions engaged in Export Trade
