“BusinessTalk” – A Trade and Investment Webinar Series

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Overview:

The Monthly Webinar, brainstorming on Prevailing Trade, Investment, and Economic Challenges Across the U.S.-Nigeria Business Axis is a platform designed to facilitate discussions, exchange of ideas, and collaboration between key stakeholders in the business communities of the United States and Nigeria. The webinar aims to address the current challenges, opportunities, and trends impacting trade, investment, and economic relations between the two countries.

The U.S.-Nigeria business relationship is a critical one, with both countries being key players in the global economy. However, there are several challenges that hinder the full potential of this relationship. This monthly webinar aims to address these challenges and provide insights and solutions to foster stronger trade, investment, and economic ties between the two countries.

Objective:

The main objective of this webinar series is to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between key stakeholders in the U.S. and Nigeria to address the prevailing trade, investment, and economic challenges. By bringing together experts, policymakers, and business leaders, we aim to identify opportunities for growth and development across the aisle, particularly Nigeria.

Format:

The webinar will be held every third Sunday of the month at 7:30pm WAT (2:30pm EST), starting on April 21, 2024. Each session will feature panel discussions, presentations, and Q&A sessions with experts from either country. Topics will range from trade policy and regulations to investment opportunities and economic trends affecting the U.S.-Nigeria business axis.

Audience:

This webinar is targeted at business leaders, policymakers, academics, and anyone interested in the U.S.-Nigeria business relationship. Participants can join from anywhere in the world, making it a truly global platform for dialogue and collaboration.

Schedule:

  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Date: Every third Sunday of the month
  • Time: 7:30 pm WAT (2:30pm EST)
  • Starting Date: April 21, 2024

Platform:

The webinar will be conducted on Zoom, allowing participants to engage in real-time discussions, ask questions, and network with industry experts, policymakers, and business leaders. In addition, the webinar will be live-streamed on YouTube to reach a wider audience and enable viewers to access the discussions remotely.

Key Topics:

Each webinar session will focus on a specific theme related to trade, investment, and economic challenges across the U.S.-Nigeria business axis. Some of the key topics to be covered include:

  • Bilateral trade relations
  • Investment opportunities and challenges
  • Regulatory frameworks and policies
  • Market trends and analysis
  • Business strategies and best practices

Target Audience:

The webinar is open to business professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in exploring opportunities and overcoming challenges in the U.S.-Nigeria business axis. Participants from both countries are encouraged to join the discussions and contribute their insights and experiences.

Benefits:

  • Gain insights from industry experts, policymakers and thought leaders.
  • Network with key stakeholders in the U.S. and Nigeria business communities.
  • Explore new opportunities for collaboration and partnership.
  • Stay updated on the latest trends and developments in trade, investment, and economic relations.

Resource persons

Discussants and participants will be Subject-Matter-Experts from an exclusive pool of seasoned trade experts, active players in the export value chain (exporters of goods and services, lawyers, bankers, forwarding agents), regulatory authorities and Trade Support Institutions, international agencies and development partners, Nigerians in the diaspora with passion and flair to contribute to national economic rebirth, etc.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

By the end of the webinar series, we aim to have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the U.S.-Nigeria business axis. We hope to generate actionable insights and recommendations that can inform policy decisions, investment strategies, and business partnerships between the two countries.

The outputs of the Trade Webinar series are expected to include:

  1. Report: A summary of key findings and policy recommendations distilled from each session, combinations of sessions, papers and keynote speeches.
  2. The webinars’ proceedings, incorporating relevant comments and feedback from peer review and webinar participants, may be published after the episode or quarter.
  3. Presentation of these findings and recommended solutions will be made to relevant governments agencies, ministries and parastatals as well as other identified stakeholders.
  4. A special task force will be created to track the results of the webinar series.

Join us for the inaugural Monthly Webinar on Prevailing Trade, Investment, and Economic Challenges Across the U.S.-Nigeria Business Axis on April 21, 2024, at 7:30 pm WAT (2:00pm EST). Together, let’s build bridges, foster collaboration, and drive sustainable growth in the U.S.-Nigeria business axis.

Nigeria moves up 24 points on World Bank Ease of Doing Business index

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The World Bank on Tuesday said that Nigeria now ranked 145th  out of 190 countries in the Ease of Doing Business index for 2018

The World Bank stated this in its just released Ease of Doing Business report titled, “Doing Business 2018: Reforming to create jobs”.

The report indicated that Nigeria had moved up by 24 points from 169th position on the 2017 ranking and also 170th position on the 2016 ranking to 145 in the World Bank’s 2018 report.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria alongside El Salvador, India, Malawi, Brunei Darussalam, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Zambia and Djibouti are the top 10 improved countries worldwide, after carrying out numerous reforms to improve their business environments.

“These economies together, implemented 53 business regulation reforms across 10 of the areas measured by doing business.

“Overall, the 10 top improvers implemented the most regulatory reforms in the area of getting credit, starting a business, dealing with construction permits and paying taxes,’ the report said.

Details of the report revealed that Nigeria now ranked 130th out of 190 countries from its 138 position in 2017, in terms of Starting a Business and 147th from 174th in 2017  in terms of Getting Construction Permit.

According to the report, the country also moved from 180 position in terms of getting electricity in 2017, to 172nd position in 2018 ranking.

Similarly, on the Registration of Property ranking, the country moved from 182nd position in 2017 ranking to 179 in the 2018 ranking.

The World Bank also stated that Nigeria made the greatest stride in improving access to Getting Credit. It moved from 32nd position in 2017, to 6th position in 2018.

On Paying Taxes ranking, the Country moved from 182nd position in 2017 to 171 in 2018 and on Enforcing Contracts, it moved from 139th to 96th position in 2018.

However, the report showed that the country was retrogressing in the Resolving Insolvency ranking, going from 140th position in 2017, to 145th in 2018.

According to the World Bank, 83 business reforms were carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa in the past year, surpassing the previous 80.

“The Sub-Saharan Africa region continues to struggle in the area of getting electricity. On average, obtaining an electricity connection takes 115 days in the region, compared to the global average of 92 days.

“The reform effort in Sub-Saharan Africa is singularly worth celebrating, as the region is beset with myriad crises, including conflict and violence.

“We hope to continue recording the region’s successes in enabling entrepreneurship to address the challenge of job creation, particularly for the region’s millions of young women and men,” the bank said.

Following the country’s 169 ranking on the 2017 Ease of Doing Business index, The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) was set up in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

PUBEC was mandated to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria and make the country a progressively easier place to start and grow a business.

Already, several reforms directly impacting on business owners have been implemented by Ministries, Agencies and Departments with the support of PEBEC.

On Starting a Business, business incorporation process can now be done mostly online on the CAC’s Company Registration Portal

The need for lawyers, accredited agents and chartered secretaries has been made optional, reducing the cost of registration of companies

Timelines for company registration have been revised as follow: Approval for reservation of names (12 hours); Incorporation of companies if application form is completed and required documents available (24 hours).

PEBEC had also succeeded in getting priority bills, including the National Collateral Registry Bill and the Credit Bureau Services Bill passed to make it easier for businesses to get access to credit.

It also simplified the Visa-On-Arrival process to include e-submission of applications to dedicated desk at Nigeria Immigration Service and also eliminated manual baggage searches at airport.

 

http://cityvoiceng.com/nigeria-moves-up-24-points-on-world-bank-ease-of-doing-business-index/

History of United States Ambassadors to Nigeria

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The Embassy in Lagos was established October 1, 1960, with Ambassador Palmer in charge pending presentation of his letter of credence.

Nigeria–United States relations are bilateral relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeriaand the United States of America. Nigeria and the United States have long been close allies.

The United States is Nigeria’s greatest trading partner and is undeniably its most important diplomatic partner.

 

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