Nigerian Governors Dialogue

On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) hosted the “Nigerian Governors Dialogue”. Tuesday’s event was the first session of itscountry-focused events on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings. The session was the first in person event the organization has hosted since February 2020.Tuesday’s session focused on Nigeria and featured a panel of four Nigerian Governors: H.E Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State; H.E Simon Lalong, Governor of Plateau State; H. E Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State; H.E Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State.Florie Liser, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, delivered welcoming remarks, stating that CCA is looking forward to opportunities to reinvent engagements as we return to more in person activities. She expressed CCA’s commitment to promoting business engagement between the U.S. and Nigeria. Ms. Liser also noted the critical importance of the state government in facilitating economic engagement in Nigeria.John Olajide, CCA Member and CEO of Axxess, provided the opening remarks. He spoke of a recent visit to the Ekiti State in Nigeria and his interest in business engagement on a sub-national level.H.E Fayemi echoed that sentiment, as “the bulk of investment and engagement occurs on the state level.” He explained that through the Nigerian Governors Forum, a coalition of the elected Governors of the country’s 36 states, sub-sovereigns are able to lead initiatives and attract various types of investments in their states such as energy, fintech, agriculture, or healthcare. H.E. Obaseki highlighted the need to move beyond areas of petrol in Nigeria to other spheres of investment, arguing that in “no other time has healthcare become so critical.”Additionally, the Governors discussed the ways COVID-19 accentuated the need for investment in health infrastructure and the opportunity to do so in an innovative manner. H.E Lolong noted the key moment for private health systems to deliver healthcare in a more accessible manner, rather than waiting for tertiary systems. The session covered opportunities for these investments in partnerships in multiple sectors including healthcare and agrobusiness at the state level.H.E Tambuwal stressed that despite the political differences of states, they are “very ready to provide an enabling environment for businesses to grow.” John Olajide, President and CEO of Axxess, provided a key example of the enabling environment as he highlighted Axxess’s commitment to investing in Nigeria. He revealed that the company has invested $20 million dollars in the Ekiti State for an Agro Project, providing the first of “many investments.”The interactive session featured members both in Zoom attendance and in person. Attendees included Citi, CCA Board Member Temitope Iluyemi of Proctor & Gamble, B360, the Nicky Okoye Organization, CCA Board Member Witney Schneidman of Covington & Burling LLP, the Bizzell Group, and more. Topics addressed in the question-and-answer section included organizing principles of U.S.- Nigeria relations, ways to strengthen the global health system through sub-national engagement, and more.In his closing remarks General William E. Kip Ward, noted the growth, challenges and opportunities in the Nigerian economy and the importance of increasing U.S.-Africa business partnerships for economic resiliency.