Top government officials, policy makers, business leaders and major players in the economy including the media are meeting in Awka, to fashion out ways to create a better environment for businesses to grow and be sustainable in the South East.

This is in keeping with the key policy thrust of creating a regional ease of doing business by the South East Governors’ Forum.

On eighteenth October, the World Bank published the Sub-National Doing Business report in Nigeria for 2018 measuring progress in business environment in Nigeria from 2014 focusing on the four regulatory areas of: starting business, dealing with construction permits, registering property and enforcing contract.

The result though ranked Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra tops for implementing progressive reforms that engender business growth sustainability, the results show that the successes are still far from global best practices which necessitated the South East Governors’
Forum, SEGF and the Partnership To Engage, Reform and Learn programme of the DFID to seek for ways to integrate actionable policies in the two day workshop.

Speaking to the participants drawn from the five south eastern states, the Director General of the SEGF, Professor Simon Ortuanya said the event facilitates inclusive dialogue between government and the organized private sector in issues relating to the business environment.

Leading the Discussion on the Implications of the 2018 World Bank Sub-National Report of Doing Business for South East States, the Consultant, and Dr Mark Ubani called for consistent implementation of reforms and reenactment of informed laws that have the framework to improve and not stifle the business ecosystem.

The President, South East Chambers of Commerce, Industry ,Mines and Agriculture, Chief John Udeagbala represented by the Director General of the Chamber, Engineer Henry Nduka, the Attorney General of Imo State, Barrister Miletus Nlebedum, his counterpart in Anambra, Dr Uju Nworgu, and the Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Small and Medium Enterprises and investment Promotion, Mr. Anayo Agu in their separate speeches, commended the move and said there is need for more synergy between major players to ensure success and continuity of positive policies.

A syndicate session where members brainstormed and identified key areas of strengths and proffered solutions, and as well advocated for synergy of government agencies also featured at the workshop.