The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, has held the maiden edition of the Government-Private Sector dialogue series (GPS).
The event, held on Saturday, November 1, at Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos, is part of the federal government’s efforts “to align national economic reforms with the realities of everyday business”.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Finance and SME Growth Roundtable’, Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of State for Finance, said the federal government is determined to be more “present, responsive, and accountable”.
She noted that policy must not be written for the people, but with them, adding that this edition is the beginning of a structured and continuous dialogue between policymakers and the private sector in Nigeria.
“GPS dialogue series is a platform where the voices of entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders directly shape the priorities of governance,” she said.
“We are transitioning from survival mode to influence mode. Government can design policy, business can activate productivity, and together, we can build prosperity.”
The first edition of the GPS series kicked off with the trading and entrepreneurial community of south-east origin domiciled in Lagos.
Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who joined the session, commended the initiative and pledged full federal support.
He affirmed that “dialogue, timing, and consultation are the keys to effective reform”, and announced forthcoming digital reforms such as the National Single Window Project to enhance trade facilitation and reduce import/export costs.
Market leaders who participated in the event expressed optimism in the initiative, describing it as “the first genuine collaboration between government and traders in decades”.
They applauded the minister’s initiative for “bringing government to the people” and pledged to work collectively to ensure continuity and follow-through.
The minister launched a WhatsApp coordination forum to sustain engagement between federal agencies, traders, and business associations.
This, she said, is to ensure that the dialogue translates into continuous action.
The programme featured intensive panel sessions with the Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), CREDICORP, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Customs Service, NOTAP, and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), among others.
Senior officials from the Lagos state ministry of commerce, industry, and cooperatives, Computer Village Technology Merchants (ACOVITEMN), and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) attended the event.
