Interview:Osazuwa Osayi Where do you identify the remaining gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, and how can domestic players address them? OSAZUWA OSAYI: Nigeria’s agricultural space is nascent because the oil and gas sector has been at the forefront of economic development programmes for decades. Today, however, there is greater emphasis on diversification, and the improvement…
Interview:Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami In what ways did the Covid-19 pandemic affect Nigeria’s ICT sector and digitalisation efforts? ISA ALI IBRAHIM PANTAMI: In recent years the government has prioritised achieving an indigenous digital economy. In 2019 President Muhammadu Buhari renamed the Ministry of Communication Technology to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, highlighting…
Interview: Olugbenga Agboola In what ways has internet connectivity in Nigeria impacted the payments industry and the adoption of cashless payment options? OLUGBENGA AGBOOLA: Internet penetration in Nigeria is growing at a high rate. In 2020 Nigeria had 99.1m internet users, and this figure is projected to grow to 131.7m by 2023. Internet connectivity in Africa and Nigeria specifically is growing…
Interview:Juliet Anammah To what extent did the Covid-19 pandemic influence e-commerce in Nigeria? JULIET ANAMMAH: Before the pandemic e-commerce retailers thought they were in a business of convenience by providing consumers and sellers with a platform where they could interact – which is convenient if you are not able to go to the store. After the start of the pandemic e-commerce became…
Interview:Emmanuel Ezenwere To what extent will drones impact the Nigerian economy in the near future? EMMANUEL EZENWERE: First of all, I envision drones will have a large impact on the health sector, making vital medical supplies more accessible to hospitals and primary health care centres that can not adequately store blood, certain vaccines and medicines. The capacity to transport medical…
Interview: Babatunde Fashola Where are the priorities for 2021 in terms of infrastructure development? BABATUNDE FASHOLA: The more transport infrastructure we provide the more efficient the economy becomes, resulting in more business opportunities. The ministry’s goal to improve infrastructure aligns with the administration’s efforts to bolster the ease of doing business as a means of stimulating…
Interview:Moji Adeyeye In what ways did NAFDAC contribute to the country’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout? MOJI ADEYEYE: NAFDAC developed its own quality management and auditing systems in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) that met international benchmarks, and the agency has been working with the WHO to expand our capacity to handle future pandemics. At the start of the Covid-19…
Interview:Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai To what extent has progress in facilitating business procedures translated to investment inflows? Which sectors are being prioritised? NASIR EL-RUFAI: Kaduna’s performance in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index has been instrumental in attracting investors. Between 2015 and 2021 Kaduna secured investments in excess of $800m. Singaporean agri-business…
Viewpoint:President Muhammadu Buhari Despite the struggles that we may face in the future, it will be necessary to accelerate our economic recovery, promote social inclusion and strengthen the fundamentals of sectors across the economy. Many young Nigerians excel in spheres including sport, entertainment, ICT and commerce, and are globally recognised as high achievers. The government is committed…
In September 2020 Wamkele Mene, the secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, told a conference in South Africa that AfCFTA negotiations on e-commerce and digital trade would be fast-tracked, with the Covid-19 pandemic heightening the need for an adequate legal and governance framework. These talks were initially planned for phase three of the trade zone’s…
