Dr Abubakar Al-Mujtaba
What are you bringing on board as the new president of ACCI? I am a veteran in the finance industry in Nigeria. So, my network and experience in the banking sector, spanning nearly four decades, will enrich the Chamber and take it to new heights. Aside from that, I am an old member of the ACCI, who rose through the ranks to the top. In the Chamber, we have a succession structure, involving stages in the leadership cadre. You have to be a Council member, a vice president, a second deputy president and first deputy president before you can become a president. I have passed through all these stages. I have served under at least five presidents. So I am a president that has a huge private sector background and long years within the Chamber movement.
My experience under previous presidents equipped me to effectively lead the Chamber at this material time.
What are the innovations you are bringing on board to advance the Chamber?
We will deepen our robust engagement with government as the voice of business through various platforms and structures. Our target is to enhance our capacity to influence policies in favour of our members and the business community. We are recommitting ourselves to providing data-driven proposals, from which the government can tap from for economic prosperity through facilitation rather than regulation of the business sector.
To achieve that, my presidency will adopt a deliberate policy of capacity building for the ACCI, alongside development of management processes to enhance efficiency and productivity.
The Abuja Trade Centre (ATC) is a trading arm of the ACCI, and I am delighted with its many programmes, which promise to earn the Chamber more resources and recognition. We will also consolidate the centres as national points under the Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
As part of our drive to give a strong voice to the Chamber movement, it is my pleasure to announce the establishment of ACCI radio and television. Both are taken off through the ACCI Podcast and YouTube channels. We will later migrate to dedicated programmes on national radio and television through a public-private
partnership arrangement.
The economy has exited recession but businesses are still struggling, what is the way out?
Let me first put on record that the Nigerian government really reacted holistically to support businesses during and after the pandemic. The various interventions by the administration through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) granted succour and lifeline to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The effect on businesses would have been worse but for the multi-pronged support from the government.
On how businesses can survive these trying times, I think many business leaders have become very innovative in the area of cost management and balancing on human resources. Many businesses are now smartly run because waste is no longer acceptable. The way to go is innovation in the deployment of scarce resources. As many are barely surviving, remaining
What is your plan for businesses with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?
The ACCI is already supporting its members through training and networking for opportunities. We are closely involved in several governmental committees that are working to open doors for Nigerian businesses. We, in turn, integrate our members into trading knowledge gained through participation in government policy support processes.
Again, the government’s plan of action for the AfCFTA is deep and extensive. It covers all the sectors of the economy. So I advise Nigerian businesses interested in the export market to look into various government initiatives and be equipped with knowledge and available resources. The opportunities are huge.