Courtesy Visit: NASSBER, NASS align on framework for workable economy

10 months ago

The National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), on Thursday, forged a strategic partnership with the 10th National Assembly to facilitate legislation that will evolve a workable Nigerian economy during a courtesy call on Honorable Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives.  

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group’s (NESG) Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, who led the combined NESG/NASSBER delegation during the courtesy visit, recalled the economic hassles of the past 8 years. He said the challenges include two economic recessions and a pandemic that has left 133 million Nigerians multi-dimensionally poor, and reinforced the urgency of economic restructuring.

According to Dr. Aduloju, “We envisaged some of these challenges in 2015, which led to a conversation and Nigerian Economic Summit on tough choices. That Summit had a unanimous decision that no conversations on the Nigerian economy should hold without the Legislature. From 2016 till date, the Nigerian Economic Summit has convened specific legislative sessions that the principal officers of the National Assembly attend. And it is to give impetus to the fact that there is no economic growth without the legislative arm of government.”

The NESG COO also recalled the 8th National Assembly’s affirmation that cooperation between the private sector and the legislature would deliver reforms that count in terms of employment generation, inclusive growth and poverty reduction, etc. He reiterated NASSBER’s readiness to continue providing technical and operational support to help the House Leadership and committees expand economic consultation and deliver bills that work.

Responding, Honorable Kalu commended NASSBER’s efforts to work with the Legislature in evolving an enabling business environment. He emphasised the 10th National Assembly’s commitment to being rated, not just by the number of bills passed, but transformational bills that will drive measurable socio-economic impact anticipated by the citizenry.

The House Deputy Speaker assured of the National Assembly’s commitment to working with NASSBER, while inviting the latter to also participate in planned sectoral roundtables, where challenges affecting critical sectors of the economy would be highlighted and the legislation to tackle them brainstormed, and executed.