Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Nigeria is set to organise an economic and business conference.
The theme of the conference is: “Unlocking Real Sector Growth to drive Sustainable Economic Development.”
The event holds in Lagos next Tuesday.
“Nigeria, a key regional player in West Africa, with a population of approximately 200 million, Nigeria accounts for about 47 per cent of West Africa’s population and about 65 per cent of the West Africa economy.
“Despite Nigeria’s dominance in the region and population size, the real GDP growth for 2018 was only 1.9 per cent and the first quarter 2019 GDP came in at two per cent. “While refreshingly, the growth was driven by the non-oil sector, the extent of growth is still sub optimal,” the bank explained in a statement.
According to the statement, with an abundance of resources, Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil exporter and has the largest natural gas reserves on the continent, vast natural resources, arable land, and a young entrepreneurial population.
“After a decade of steady growth, market reforms, and increased political stability—as demonstrated by the recently held national elections in 2019, for the sixth consecutive time since its return to democracy in 1999, the country seems to be performing below its potential economically.
“The opportunity to change course and usher the country into inclusive and sustainable growth does indeed exist if the right operating environment and policies are instituted.
“The conference will engage industry participants in a dialogue on the catalysts needed to stimulate inclusive real sector growth and accelerate economic development,” it added.
Speakers include Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, former Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment; Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange; Eme Essien, CEO of International Finance Corporation Nigeria; Olukayode Pitan, MD of Bank of Industry; Biola Alabi, CEO of Biola Alabi Media; Raj Gupta, MD of African Industries Group, Christian Wessels, MD of Daystar Power and others.
