Ease Of Doing Business: Govt Agencies Working At Cross Purpose, Says NECA

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has faulted government agencies for working at cross purpose which he said is affecting the ease of doing business.

NECA’s Director-General Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde said this on Tuesday when he was featured on a special Independence Day programme by Channels Television.

“Sometimes, regulators’ roles are overlapping. This regulator will say, ‘This is my role. I have given you the certificate to do this.’ Another regulator will come and say, ‘Look, that certificate does not apply to us’ and that leaves the business in the middle,” the NECA DG said.

“You have one agency of the government promoting trade and another agency also creating bottlenecks to job creation. You have one agency of government promoting trade and you have another agency of government creating bottlenecks to trade. So, if we don’t deal with those inherent contradictions, we will be probably going into a rigmarole,” the DG of the umbrella body for employers in the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria said.

He called on the Federal Government to work on resolving such issues so that businesses can flourish.

Several businesses have shut down in the past years due to multiple issues including the foreign exchange crisis.

According to Smatt-Oyerinde, the impacts of businesses closing down “goes far beyond”.

He said, “Until we start tracking the real consequences of a business closing down,” Nigeria will not know the impacts of such actions.