Last week Nairametrics founder @ugodre held an insightful tweet chat with Jumoke Oduwole. Jumoke is the Senior Special assistant to the President on Trade and Investment in the office of the Vice President. The chat focused on government’s effort to ease doing business in Nigeria. Here are the full excerpts of the tweet chat.
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Twitter interview with coordinator of @EBESnigeria, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole
Who is up for a surprise tweet chat in the next few minutes? Trust me this should be interesting!
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre I’m here! ?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole So first question. What is EBES (@EBESnigeria) and what does EBES it hope to achieve? #EDB
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria implements the reforms of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria we plan to make Nigeria an increasingly easier place to do business for domestic and foreign investors
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria PEBEC was formed in July 2016 and @EBESnigeria became operational in Q4. End.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
Ok. I see @joduwole comes with a very good background @ugodre @EBESnigeria #EDB pic.twitter.com/xFV9xVUI4S
— Gboye (@mcgboye) February 10, 2017
@joduwole Next question; Is @EBESnigeria another agency of government or a project with a time frame?
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria Nop! We’re a project and delivery office with a 2-year life span. We hope to help drive our partners in MDAs to change
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria We’re here till July 2018 and should have delivered serious impact for Nigerians, particularly SMEs. End
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole @EBESnigeria Ok great! Next question;
How will you define success for you and your team? #EDB
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria Honstly, it’s the testimonials of Nigerians across the country sharpies stories of changes experienced.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria Another important empirical measurement tool for us is the World Bank Doing Business report. We’re currently 169 ?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria In 2006 we were 94th and went into free fall but for the first time in 10yrs we stabilized and improved slightly
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria this year we have a lot of reforms we’re working hard to deliver and we plan to improve by at least 20 points
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @EBESnigeria what would you and your followers consider to be our success? We’re listening with all ears! End
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole @EBESnigeria @ugodre Plan to improve by 20 points by when? Next annual report or are there no set timelines?
— Edward Okonkwo (@EdwardOkonkwo) February 10, 2017
@EdwardOkonkwo Hi. The target is to improve 20 points by the time next ranking is released. And in the top 100 by 2019 @joduwole @ugodre
— EBES Nigeria (@EBESnigeria) February 10, 2017
@EBESnigeria @joduwole @ugodre typically good ideas start but never followed through, an avenue for recourse should keep folks accountable
— Edward Okonkwo (@EdwardOkonkwo) February 10, 2017
@EdwardOkonkwo @ugodre @EBESnigeria Yup! Nigeria has never lacked good plans. Implementation is key. We will communicate our reforms
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@EdwardOkonkwo @ugodre @EBESnigeria EBES is a public/private sector team dedicated to this work. it’s a crack team of 10. Watch this space?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole Next question….What are the priority areas for you in improving Nigeria’s Ease of doing business? #EDB
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre We have a number of things ongoing since last year. 1) reform of the ports (entry and exit of goods). Includes reducing docs, time
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre we’re also working on reducing the number of agencies at the ports. Not there yet but ongoing. 2) next we faced the airports #EDB
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre the touts, heat, queues, dirty toilets, bad escalators, etc we took it personal as a national embarrassment. FAAN has been working!
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre For our economy to improve we need FDI. Visa on Arrival is functioning, easier now. Visa policy is being reviewed. Websites improved
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre new shorter arrival/departure forms coming live this month. 3) Govt transparency- websites. MDAs list requirements, time and costs!
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre this year we have some nice surprises ?CAC online process reform is ongoing. Watch that space! FIRS-pay your taxes all online now
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre we’re already working to get taxes consolidated into lump payments. That will bring more clarity and ease. Online helps corruption
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre for regulatory fees, we’re working with agencies like CAC to reduce fees so more businesses can be registered.We must compete global
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre SMEs are the engine of any economy. 80% of ours. When they succeed, they create jobs. They are the main focus of this initiative.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre I haven’t told you guys about one reform @VPOsinbajo insisted on: reform of FGN procurement process so it’s easier for SMEs ??
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole Pls tell us more about this?
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre The’re a lot of other reforms coming-construction permits and registration of property (State govt’s), time for connection for power
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre re procurement, the requirements are really hard, even to supply toilet paper! so we’re working on differentiating the requirement
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre Enforcement of judgments (courts) is another area and insolvency issues. Important- getting credit!!! CBN has a collateral registry
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre and there are Credit Bureaus that everyone (Individuals and MSMEs) should register. Once you have credit history banks will lend ??
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre The key things we are focusing on are the cost and time and transparency of info so MSMEs can thrive. No time wasting, rent seeking
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre it will take weeks, sometimes months for these reforms to bite. Also working with Nat Assembly to pass their 11 priority Bills Buz
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre we have regular stakeholder engagements in Lagos and Kano to try to push the work out. Also coming to 6 geopolitical zones this year
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre what EBES asks of Nigerians is that you PLEASE give us your feedback as things start changing. Testimonials! Tell others!! Believe ?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre I can tell you that this initiative enjoys the highest level of political will from Mr President, @VPOsinbajo, the HMITI and all! ?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole First from @mcgboye he wants to know what are the set timelines some of these laudable initiatives?
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @mcgboye thanks for that. What gets measured gets done! We have till June 1st for stakeholders to respond to WB questionnaires.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre @mcgboye we’ve given ourselves 90 days to push through the most feasible reforms and communicate the reforms to Nigerians. Phase 1.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole Ok Finally, What will you say to Nigerians in diaspora & foreign investors looking to start businesses in Nigeria say…today?
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre re starting a business today: try out the NIPC one stop center. It was down but is being reformed. Check out websites for good info
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@ugodre we’re working with key MDAs to make sure all relevant info is current on websites.Try visa on arrival. Really proud of NIS reformers
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole thanks so much for the tweet chat and hope we can do this again sometime soon?
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
@ugodre Sure anytime! You’re more than welcome. Always a privilege to engage with Nigerians. Looking forward to making it happen for us all.
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole MA, can you make this a monthly engagement? Both for reporting and stakeholder engagement @ugodre https://t.co/LgL31NYGDm
— Yomi Fawehinmi (@yomitheprof) February 10, 2017
@yomitheprof @ugodre great idea! Why not…. if Ugo will invite me ?
— Jumoke Oduwole (@joduwole) February 10, 2017
@joduwole consider this an invite ??☺️☺️@yomitheprof
— Ugo Obi-Chukwu (@ugodre) February 10, 2017
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