TBY signs MoU with FMI

Nigeria, May 19, 2014—Leading international business and consultancy firm The Business Year (TBY) signed a partnership agreement with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) on May 16 to collaborate on the realization of The Business Year: Nigeria 2015. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreed upon by Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan, Permanent Secretary of the FMI, and Ligia Oliveira Kleber, TBY’s Country Director, has at the core the aim of boosting of the country’s economy and rebranding Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment.

Responsible for conducting research, surveys, and studies that will create a better understanding of the government’s programs and policies, as well as represent Nigeria at the international level, the Federal Ministry of Information and TBY have sought to join forces together in the achievement of these goals.

The MoU, signed in the presence of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan, marks the official initiation of a collaboration that will see the federal government of Nigeria and TBY work together to showcase the numerous investment opportunities the country has to offer to the private sector.

“Because of all challenges the country currently faces, Nigeria offers a wide array of opportunities across all sectors of its economy. The government’s policy on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model better suits the country’s new developing model, and Nigeria is now fully open to the foreign community of investors,” said the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on the occasion of the meeting in Abuja.

The project, which will see TBY working across the whole spectrum of the country’s economy, perfectly aligns with the President’s vision of transforming Nigeria from an oil investment destination to a well-diversified, and modern economy that will boost job creation.

“As the largest economy of the continent, I can see Nigeria growing in importance and becoming an epicenter of excellence not only in Africa, but also internationally,” remarked the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan.

As Nigeria prepares to enter the world’s top-20 economies by 2020, TBY is strengthening its ties with the Ministry by working in line with the country’s process of diversification. “For decades, Nigeria was seen only and exclusively as an oil and gas destination for investments,” said TBY’s Country Director, Ligia Oliveira Kleber. “The time has come to reverse this trend. This moment represents a turning point in the country’s recent history, and TBY will serve Nigeria as a platform to showcase to the foreign investment community its full potential, noticeably in the energy generation, agribusiness, manufacturing, and ICT sectors.”

Present in more than 20 countries worldwide, TBY currently counts on an overall readership of over 95,000 international subscribers. With more than 200 exclusive interviews and an estimated internal circulation of around 10,000 copies, The Business Year: Nigeria 2015 will have as its main focus the process of economic diversification that the country is currently undergoing. In this first edition, special emphasis will be given to the President’s Transformation Agenda as well as the country’s VISION 20:2020 goals. The publication, which will cover all sectors of the economy, will also represent a platform for further analysis on specific topics such as the successful privatization of the power sector or Nigeria’s path to become the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, and Exhibitions (MICE) hub for West Africa.

THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) provides the Nigerian citizenry with timely information on the government’s activities, programs, and initiatives. The Ministry serves as the Federal Public Information outfit responsible for professional policy-making, planning, gathering, processing, packaging, and dissemination of essential and vital information that will enhance and facilitate the democratic governance of Nigeria as a Federal Republic. The Ministry develops, designs, and institutionalizes appropriate and generally acceptable public information and communication policies that will promote information management and control in the country.