NECA decries harsh business environment in Nigeria

Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, has decried the harsh business environment in Nigeria, saying “the business environment in Nigeria is surrounded by enormous challenges”.


Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, Director General, NECA who spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a pre-launch enlightenment programme of NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW), said the challenges could be surmountable when the entrepreneurs were focused and determined to thrive.

In a statement by signed Ijeoma Iheme, NECA’s Media Relations Officer, said the DG urged the women entrepreneurs in south-south zone of Nigeria to be wealth creators by leveraging on the business opportunities in Nigeria.

Mr Oshiniwo also applauded the International Labour, ILO Organisation for their collaboration to replicate the success story of NNEW in the south-south and assured NNEW of NECA’s support in ensuring that women entrepreneurship was promoted and strengthened in the region.

In the same vein, Dr Josephine Diete-Spiff, MD/CEO, Titare Micro finance Bank, Chairperson/Proprietress, Bereton Academy Nigeria Limited, enlightened the women on making a success of business as a woman entrepreneurs.

She argued that starting a business was most times challenging but it could be started on a small scale, which would eventually grow.

She noted that “an entrepreneur must notice an opportunity, develop a plan, and must be innovative and creative”, adding that a productive idea was a key to the success of a business and encouraged women entrepreneurs to generate productive idea from what they were familiar with, something they had a flair for and something they were passionate about.

In a presentation, Mrs. Modupe Ehirim,   2nd Vice President of NNEW, identified the need for capacity-building programme for entrepreneurs to enable them put the right structure to run a viable, profitable and successful business in any given economy.

Also speaking, Mr. Hezron   Njuguna, Senior Specialist, Employers’ Activities, International Labour Organisation,   ILO, said   women in Africa had come of age to face challenges as it arose in their businesses. He also urged women not to limit themselves in taking steps.