(By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye – ABUJA)
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the country is set to be one of the most attractive and easiest places to do business in the world by 2019.
Nigeria is currently ranked 169 out of 189 countries according to the World Bank’s 2016 Ease of Doing Business report.
Buhari gave the assurance in Nairobi, Kenya, while speaking at a plenary session on “Dialogue with the Private Sector” at the sixth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD VI).
According to him, his administration was implementing policies and measures to create the right and enabling environment for business and investors in Nigeria.
The summit has in attendance African leaders, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and international business executives.
The Nigerian President said that his administration’s vision and objective was to make Nigeria one of the top investment destinations in the world, within the shortest possible time.
“We believe government has a particular responsibility to create [the] right and attractive environment for businesses and economic activities to thrive.
“In furtherance of this vision, we have launched the Presidential Enabling Environment Council (PEEC) and Inter-Ministerial Council to oversee the efforts of government to remove various bottlenecks that stifle businesses and economic activities and thereby create economic activities and the right enabling environment and investment climate in Nigeria.
“The secretariat will include strong private sector representation that would be led by experienced business professionals from the private sector.
“We are committed to moving up the ranking of the World Bank’s ease of doing business index 20 places in first year and be in the top 100 within the next 3 years,” Buhari said.
“We believe government has a particular responsibility to create [the] right and attractive environment for businesses and economic activities to thrive.
“In furtherance of this vision, we have launched the Presidential Enabling Environment Council (PEEC) and Inter-Ministerial Council to oversee the efforts of government to remove various bottlenecks that stifle businesses and economic activities and thereby create economic activities and the right enabling environment and investment climate in Nigeria.
“The secretariat will include strong private sector representation that would be led by experienced business professionals from the private sector.
“We are committed to moving up the ranking of the World Bank’s ease of doing business index 20 places in first year and be in the top 100 within the next 3 years,” Buhari said.