Port Harcourt City Chambers flags off quarterly business forum series

ing such a high profile event that would add value to its members and the business community in the state.

He assured that the ministry would continue to collaborate with PHCCIMA to ensure that businesses thrive while ensuring that the Governor Nyesom Wike administration sustains the momentum in entrenching a business-friendly environment.

In his presentation titled: ‘Government Reforms And Ease of Doing Business In Nigeria’, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Yewande Sadiku, who was represented by a director in the Commission, Aminu Takuma, said the NIPC was established since 1995 to encourage, promote and coordinate investments in Nigeria. She disclosed that the Commission houses 27 agencies to facilitate investments and reduce the time required to process regulatory approvals and permits, provides assistance with information and requirements from incorporation to expansion and also supports with business visa facilitation.

The executive secretary commended the Saleh-led administration for providing space at the one-stopshop for NIPC, saying in the southsouth NIPC is only domiciled in Edo State, but the belief is that Rivers State is more vibrant, central and with more potentials. He frowned at the Bureau of Statistics projection that Bayelsa and Rivers are among the highest poverty-ridden states in the country despite their potentials; adding that Rivers State has the potential to be the greatest economic hub if she is willing to drive the various process.

Speaking on the theme of the day titled: ‘Enhancing Members Operational Business Strategies: Imperatives for Higher Productivity’, the professor, Vincent Anigbogu, a consultant with ROI Institute and Director-general for the Institute for National Transformation, quoted Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore in how he made his country to pursue advantages in making businesses operate from Singapore.

While the principle of business success lies in the development of competent workers, he said a lot of people invest in their business but had persistently failed to invest in training staff that would be central to achieving their business objective. He identified ‘time’ as very important for higher productivity and the prospect of doing the right thing at the right time efficiently.

Speaking on the ROI methodology, he identified six types of measures: Reaction and Planned Action, Learning, Application, Business Impact, Return on Investment, Intangible measures including a technique to isolate the effects of the programme or solution. He said The ROI Methodology has been adopted by hundreds of organizations in manufacturing, service, nonprofit, and government settings in over 50 countries.

According to him, the process has been refined over a 20-year period; over 60 books have been developed to support the process; adopted as UN impact measurement tool for over 10 years.

The highlight of the event was the launching of PHCCIMA APP, Membership Portal and E-ID Card by the past president, Vincent Furo. There were also presentations by Sponsors of the event, Goddy Chemical International Limited, Valia Galleries, GGI Int’l Limited, Skysat Technologies Nigeria Limited.