An Assessment of the Investment Climate in Nigeria (Directions in Development)

Nigeria has a clear vision of where it wants to be. The country s vision 2020 expresses a bold desire to be among the top twenty economies by the year 2020. The economy has posted impressive growth figures since 2003 driven by higher oil prices and a series of home-grown, economic reforms. The country is now firmly on the road to middle-income status. But what else do government and the private sector need to do to create the jobs and growth that will underpin the national development strategy? What are the challenges that Nigeria s businesses face today? What can government do to promote job creation? What are the roles of the Federal and State governments in promoting private sector growth? This Investment Climate Analysis aims to provide answers to these questions. It is built on a 2,300 firm survey and provides evidence-based recommendations designed to support the vision 2020 and the President s seven point agenda. We find that government must move quickly to tackle job creation and poverty reduction. Other key challenges include a desperate shortage of energy and a poor transportation network as well as low-levels of education and continuing unrest in the Niger Delta. Nigeria s workers need to be more productive to compete in a globalized 21st century economy. Although they are poorly paid Nigerian workers are even less productive than their counterparts in more dynamic countries such as Kenya, Brazil and India. Improving productivity will take simultaneous efforts to foster competition, to improve the business environment as well as to facilitate better management and training within individual firms. Nigeria s best firms have not been able to grow their market share. To allow this to happen, policy-makers need to address and eliminate the obstacles to competition including barriers to entry, convoluted taxation, property registration and licensing.