Felix Ikem, Nsukka
As part of programmes to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the creation of Enugu State, the Nsukka Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NSCCIMA), has concluded plans to launch first ever Nigeria mobile application business directory.
In a chat with Daily Sun yesterday, in Nsukka, on the preparations of NSCCIMA, on the celebration, the Director General of the organisation, Dr. Dan Ochi, said plans were on to capture all the business organisations in Enugu State in a directory.
“One of the cardinal reasons for the publication of this business directory is for easy access to so many business units we have in this state. Secondly, you know that here in Nsukka and Enugu State as a whole, we have universities where people come to make researches. This business directory will help researchers in this area to locate business units like construction companies and banks.
“We have no documented record of business units in this state. And thirdly, recent research and publication by World Bank showed that Enugu State is ranked second among the 36 states of the federation, with the ease of doing business. So, for this reason, we see this as a necessity to have this business directory,” he said.
Asked if the project is sponsored by the government, Ochi said there was no financial support from the government, stressing that the directory would be in three formats, which include hard copy, internet and mobile app.
“Between 2014 and 2017, Nigeria has occupied the 168th position in the World Bank ranking on the ease of doing business out of the 190 economies of the world. This ranking became a source of worry and concern to the Federal Government and in July 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government decided to set up a Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). The PEBEC is being chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Their main task is to remove all major bureaucratic constraints to the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“In May 2017, Prof Osinbajo, as acting president of Nigeria signed the Executive Order 1 on improving transparency and business environment in Nigeria. The implementation of some of the reforms across MDAs and sectors helped Nigeria to move up to 24th place in the World Bank ranking in 2018/ 2019. The World Bank, on October 31, 2018 published its 2019 annual global report on the ease of doing business in Nigeria and was ranked 146 out of the 190 countries evaluated.”