FOBEANS 2007

August 16-17, 2007

Transcorp Hilton, Abuja

Overview
Forum on Business Environment and Competitiveness across Nigerian States (FOBEANS) is the BECANS conference for advocacy and dialogue on business environment in Nigeria. The purpose of the Forum series is to provide stakeholders with the opportunity and evidence to collectively and continually examine critical business environment problems in the states and find solutions to them.

The first FOBEANS was held from 6-7 July 2006 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja in collaboration with the National Planning Commission and Central Bank of Nigeria. Participants included representatives of state governments, private sector organizations, civil society universities, journalists, businesspeople and industrialists. The first Forum examined and adopted the benchmarks and indicators for measuring and comparing business environment across Nigerian states. It also sensitized and enlightened stakeholders on the business environment survey and the relevant data needed from state governments and private sector.

FOBEANS 2007 is convened against the backdrop of the evidence on business environment across Nigerian states. The evidence comprises two aspects: business environment ratings of the states and business environment reports on the states.

Its main objectives are to:

• Disseminate and discuss the business environment ratings of the states;

• Launch the business environment reports, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of respective states;

• Initiate state-level stakeholder groups for advocacy on business environment reforms;

• Provide training/orientation of state-level groups for enhanced capacity to carry out advocacy for business environment reforms;

• Develop advocacy networks and action plans/milestones for state-level stakeholder advocacy groups;

• Enable uptake and use of business environment reports for designing reform agenda and initiatives; and

• Share information and experiences on business environment agenda items

The Forum will feature the public presentation of the ground-breaking business environment ratings of Nigerian states. These business environment ratings are ground-breaking given that this is the first time Nigerian states are being scientifically benchmarked and evaluated on business environment measures, in an ongoing manner.

Previous national assessments were one-off aggregations that obscured state-level variations in the business environment. Such national aggregations misrepresent Nigeria to the international and domestic business communities. Also, the assessments lack relevant state-specific evidence to support advocacy by sub-national private sector and civil society groups.

Agenda

Day 1

A.        Opening Session

I.     Keynote Address - Business Environment Challenges in Nigeria's Federal Setting
II.    Presentation of Business Environment Ratings of the states

B.        Presentation of Business Environment Report on Nigerian states

Day 2

A.        Closing Plenary

I.     Feedback on Business Environment Report on Nigerian States
II.    Closing Ceremony

B.       Training/Orientation workshop for state-level stakeholder contact groups

Organising COmmittee

FOBEANS 2007 will be managed by an Organizing Committee with members drawn from the collaborating organizations as follows:

• African Institute for Applied Economics

• Central Bank of Nigeria

• National Planning Commission

• Manufacturers Association of Nigeria

• Nigerian Economic Summit Group

• Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises

• Human Rights Law Services

• Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission

• State government representatives from each of the six geopolitical zones

• BusinessDay Newspapers

• National Bureau of Statistics

• Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)

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