EnterpriseNGR and the Lagos State Government want to exhibit Nigeria’s and the state’s strong business ecosystems at the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, United Kingdom, in order to promote investment inflows.
EnterpriseNGR and Lagos State have received a unique invitation to the event from Prof. Michael Mainelli, the 695th Lord Mayor. This is the first time an African city has participated in the event since it was first held in 1215.
At the EnterpriseNGR quarterly members’ night dinner, when senior executives from member companies and prospective members emphasized the group’s expansion, relationships, and milestones over the previous two years, this information was revealed.
One of the group’s milestones, according to a statement from Oluwole-Akinwale, Uchechi, Head of Corporate Services at the group representing Nigeria’s Financial and Professional Services (FPS) Sector, is their partnership with the Lagos State Government and their joint participation as the first African city to be featured in the Lord Mayor’s Show in London.
The group mentioned a number of other things, such as signing up for the Youth of Enterprise (YOE) Internship Program, joining the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), and receiving the annual State of Enterprise (SOE) Report, which examines all nine FPS sub-sectors, including banking, insurance, capital markets, asset management, pensions, non-interest finance, fintech, and sustainable finance.
The company also mentioned how crucial it has been to replicate best practices and take use of London’s experience as a global financial center through its partnership with The City UK, an industry-led organization that represents the UK-based Financial and Professional Services (FPS) sector.
The company also mentioned that in order to create an African chapter and increase awareness of the continent’s FPS industry, EnterpriseNGR is actively working with other African members, including Rwanda, Mauritius, and Morocco.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the chairman of EnterpriseNGR’s board of directors, emphasized the value of public-private partnerships in achieving the organization’s goals of establishing Nigeria as the continent’s preeminent financial centre.
He pointed out that Nigeria has a strong chance to become the entry point for major investments into Africa thanks to the coordinated efforts of Lagos State, EnterpriseNGR, and its members.
Aig-Imoukhuede added, “EnterpriseNGR has carefully studied the approaches taken by countries in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that have succeeded in drawing significant investments and transforming their cities into leading financial hubs.”
He claimed that representing Lagos in the grand procession and associated high-profile events at the Lord Mayor’s Show, UK, offers EnterpriseNGR and Lagos State a fantastic chance to attract the required favorable attention from around the world, interact with investors, and show the state’s dedication to developing into a major global financial hub.
Obi Ibekwe, the CEO of EnterpriseNGR, emphasized the organization’s outstanding accomplishments during the previous two years.
Among these accomplishments, according to her, is the unification of the FPS industry’s voice through the expansion of EnterpriseNGR’s membership from seven founding members to 23 members in all membership categories.
Ibekwe also commended the Youth of Enterprise (YOE) Internship Program’s effective execution, which gives recent graduates employability skills and valuable professional experience with partner organizations and member organizations.
By the end of 2023, it was stated that training and valuable internships would have been provided to nearly 1,000 young people in the FPS sector, with many of them being subsequently hired by the companies they had worked with.
Chike Obianwu, Deputy Managing Partner at Templars, emphasized the importance of the law firm joining EnterpriseNGR and added that the goal is to expand the firm’s market reach across multiple economic sectors by speaking with a single voice, influencing policies for the advancement of the private sector, and supporting youth capacity building.
