EnterpriseNGR urges Public-Private Partnerships to make Nigeria Africa’s top financial hub

EnterpriseNGR, a member-led, not-for-profit professional advocacy group representing Nigeria’s Financial and Professional Services (FPS) Sector, has emphasised the significance of public-private partnerships in realising the organisation’s objectives of positioning Nigeria as Africa’s premier financial hub.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of EnterpriseNGR’s board of directors,underscored the benefits of public-private partnerships during the organisation’s  Quarterly Members’ Night dinner, which was hosted by Templars, one of its founding members.

The dinner was attended by top executives from member organisations and prospects,

providing a relaxed evening of exquisite winning, dining, networking, and discussions about

EnterpriseNGR’s significant milestones.

Aig-Imoukhuede, during his presentation, noted that Nigeria, with the concerted efforts of Lagos State and EnterpriseNGR, along with its members, possesses a robust opportunity to become the gateway for significant investments in Africa.

He further reiterated that EnterpriseNGR has meticulously examined the strategies employed by nations in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that have excelled in attracting massive investments and developing their cities into premier financial destinations.

According to EnterpriseNGR, showcasing Lagos at the grand procession and related high profile events at the Lord Mayor’s Show, UK, provides an excellent opportunity for the advocacy group and Lagos State to gain the necessary positive global attention, engage with investors and demonstrate Lagos State’s commitment to becoming an international financial centre.

The event also featured discussions centered around milestones achieved by  EnterpriseNGR which include becoming a member of the prestigious World Alliance of International Financial Centres (WAIFC), its partnership with Lagos State Government, and their joint participation as the first African city to be featured in the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, UK, the Youth of Enterprise (YOE) Internship Programme and the annual State of Enterprise (SOE) Report.

Another historic milestone highlighted at the event is the exclusive invitation extended to EnterpriseNGR and Lagos State by Professor Michael Mainelli, the incoming 695th Lord Mayor of London, to take center stage at the iconic Lord Mayor’s show. This groundbreaking moment

marks the inaugural participation of an African city since the event’s inception in 1215. It also

offers an exceptional platform to showcase Nigeria’s thriving business ecosystem with a view to attract increased investment flows.

Obi Ibekwe, chief executive officer of EnterpriseNGR, highlighted the group’s remarkable

achievements in the last two years. These achievements include uniting the voice of the FPS

sector by growing the membership of EnterpriseNGR from seven  founding members to 23

members across all membership categories.

Ibekwe also noted the successful implementation of EnterpriseNGR’s flagship initiative,

the Youth of Enterprise (YOE) Internship Programme.

She disclosed further that the YOE Internship programme equips young graduates with employability skills and offers valuable workplace experience with member organisations and other partnering organisations.

“By the end of 2023, nearly 1,000 youths would have been trained and placed in high value internship positions in the FPS sector, with many being retained by the organisations they interned with,” she said.

Another significant accomplishment identified  by EnterpriseNGR is the publication of the

first edition of its annual State of Enterprise (SOE) Report, which analyzes all nine sub-

sectors of the FPS sector in one comprehensive report. The sub-sectors include banking,

insurance, capital markets, asset management, pension, non-interest finance, fintech, and

sustainable finance.

 The SOE Report provides a platform for surfacing sector issues,

highlighting contributions to national economic development, and fostering collaboration

for sector development. The second edition is set to be published by the end of October 2023.

Chike Obianwu, deputy managing partner at Templars, emphasized the significance of Templars becoming a member of EnterpriseNGR.

Obianwu said the law firm aims to speak with one voice,influence policies for the advancement of the private sector, and contribute to capacity building among the youth and thereby expanding their market reach across various sectors in the economy.