Regulators, Corporate Nigeria and business lawyers, meet to X-ray out business environment
The international convergence of business lawyers, policy makers, regulators, judges, the business community and academics, which takes place annually in Nigeria is set to open this Sunday at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island Lagos.
The 9th Annual Business Law Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), which begins on June 7, 2015 with an Opening Dinner, will be a Davos-style beehive of information aimed at broadening the perspectives of the business community and business lawyers on issues pertaining to the Nigerian economy, borrowing from China, the power sector and more and will last until Tuesday, June 9th.
Expected to feature some of the best legal, policy formulation, regulatory, financial, business and legal minds at this year’s event, the conference would also center around ‘Long-term Global Economic Trends and Implications for Nigeria’, ‘Improving Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business Index’, ‘Raising Money for Projects: Latest Trends in Nigerian Financing’, ‘Nigeria’s Power Privatization Process: Learning Curve and Next Steps’, ‘Value-based Pricing for Legal Services’, ‘Nigerian Content and the Service Industry’, ‘Chinese Lending in Africa’, among other key sessions, there is no doubt that it will be plentiful harvest for the investing public and the entire business community.
Speaking about preparations for this year’s event, the Chair of the 2015 Conference Planning Committee, Mr. Ayuli Jemide has stated that participants should expect an engaging, rich, diverse, deep, informative and far-reaching conference, where a carefully selected panel of speakers and discussants will be x-raying these topical issues in great detail.
He said, “The conference is structured to bring value to a large target audience from the Public Sector, the Private Sector, international investment community, the judiciary and those in the informal sector of the economy. There’s a large offering for all participants. This year we will focus on regulators and how their work and the rules they set can enhance our economic growth.”
“With a panel which cuts across the public and private sector, we will deliberate on issues in various areas of the law, business and our socio- economy. We will engage them; facilitating discussions around these topical issues and exchanging ideas in an open forum. We know that many of these ideas are discussed at both federal and state level and we are hopeful that the outcome of this conference will influence and direct policies,” Mr. Jemide stated.
According to the programme rolled out by the CPC, Day one of the Conference will feature key sessions designed to engage industry regulators in a dialogue on the Conference theme, “Regulators as Catalysts for Economic Growth” and will also raise major talking points that affect Nigeria’s business environment. While Day 2, will amongst other things, focus on economic issues pertinent to the legal practice, including: pricing for legal services, the dynamics of Chinese financing in Africa and global economic trends and implications for Nigeria.
Speakers, panelists and guests at the session for IMPROVING NIGERIA’S EASE OF DOING BUSINESS which takes place on Monday June 8th, 2015 include, Mawuena Trebarh, CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Bello Mahmud, Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Mallam Mounir H. Gwarzo, Director General, Securities & Exchange Commission, Samuel Ogungbesan, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Kyari Abba Bukar, Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, Former Executive Chairman, FIRS. There would also be sessions on Nigerian Content for lawyers, Trends with financing Nigerian projects, a counsel-to-counsel roundtable, amongst other things.
Day Two also has an interesting line-up of sessions and activities, including the Premium Plenary Session, which will discuss LONG-TERM GLOBAL ECONOMIC TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIA; two international sessions; a young lawyers roundtable with senior lawyers, and young lawyers visit to law firms.
As part of social activities for the conference, the planning committee has put together an exclusive ‘Boat Cruise’ for all participants attending the conference, with a Special Closing Party for guests and participants. The closing party is expected to begin right after the final session on the last day of the conference and is believed to be the Climax of the entire conference. It will feature top Nigerian artistes, a live band, a DJ and a Star Act to cap the night.
With adequate plans in place for a successful conference, the CPC maintains that the 2015 conference will be thoroughly impactful, highly instructive and great networking event for business people. Some registered delegates have so far commended the conference programme and theme for this year, noting that it could not have come at a more relevant time when the nation was restructuring its systems with a new government to set things in motion.
It is hoped that some of the critical challenges in the business and regulatory environment will be tackled at this very important convergence.