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By Merit Ibe
The new president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) , Ide John Udeagbala, has charged stakeholders to sustain and increase the momentum for economic recovery.
Udeagbala, who alluded to the fact that the economy slipped into recession in the past year, was thankful that the economy is on the path of recovery, noting that NACCIMA, through its advocacy, contributed to the recovery efforts by providing government with strategic policy options as the country searched for suggestions, on how to exit recession.
Udeagbala, Chairman of J. Udeagbala Holdings, made the remark during his investiture as the 21st president of the association.
He noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic early in 2020 came with considerable challenges to lives and livelihoods, which made businesses struggle to survive. “From loss of market share, to restrictions on travel for trade and business transactions, the pandemic compelled the world to urgently adopt new ways of transacting business using technology.”
He was delighted that the Chamber was able to quickly adapt through the use of technology to scale over the obstacles occasioned by the pandemic.
Emphasising that the economy was not totally out of the woods, he said the Chamber has an opportunity to further serve and help reposition the conduct of business transactions in the community in the quest for economic recovery.
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Commending the government for its support to businesses right from the onset of the pandemic, the former noted that the various stimulus packages, to some extent, helped to cushion the negative impact of the pandemic on households and businesses.
Meanwhile, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has announced the appointment of Dr. Chinyere Almona as Director General with effect from July 1, 2021. This follows the retirement of Dr. Muda Yusuf on the expiration of his tenure, having meritoriously served the Chamber for 24 years with the last 13 years as director general
Toki Mabogunje, its President said: “Yusuf, an astute economist of repute, joined the services of the Chamber over two decades ago and rose to become the director general through hard work and unrivalled dedication to duty.
He is a respected public commentator on macroeconomic issues, regulatory environment, economic reforms, policy and institutional reforms, trade policy issues and investment climate matters. He has led numerous policy reform and engagement sessions on the business environment, investment climate issues and the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Mabogunje also added that, “Indeed, Dr. Muda Yusuf will surely be missed by staff, members of the Chamber, our partners, collaborators, the diplomatic community, and stakeholders in the media space for his sound economic and analytical prowess, which has contributed immensely to the effectiveness of public policy advocacy and the development of the Nigerian economy. We believe that, though he has retired from the LCCCI, he is definitely not tired of contributing his quota to the prosperity of Nigeria, as the economic powerhouse of the African continent. We shall continue to benefit from his expertise as he moves to the next stage of his endeavours.”
According to Mabogunje, the appointment of Dr. Almona is an added value to the well-established profile of the Chamber. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Business School Netherlands and brings with her, about thirty years of diversified experience through her various work experience roles. In her previous position, she led the Africa Corporate Governance Program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which provided a wide range of corporate governance reforms across thirteen (13) African countries. Before joining the IFC, she was a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading the Corporate Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Practice, which she established. Dr Almona has a specialist MBA in Corporate Social Responsibility from Nottingham University Business School, UK. She is a Certified Leadership Coach with the Certified Coaches Federation, Canada. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Directors (Ghana). She is a member of the editorial team at Emerald – Corporate Governance – The International Journal of Business in Society. Dr Almona is a published author, an international speaker and an accredited IFC trainer. She is an ardent reader and enjoys supporting community development initiatives. It is our sincere hope that the appointment of Dr. Almona as DG will further transform and reposition the Chamber, in this season of the new normal, and enable it to maintain its position as a leading voice of the organized private sector in its public policy advocacy and trade promotion mandate to meet the new demands of the future.
