business0521

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BUSINESS DAY
INDUSTRY FILE
SBL COUNTDOWN
Meet the speakers…
Thursday 21 May 2015
LegalBusiness
“An enabling environment
competitive advantage in at
The Council of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) and the 2015
Conference Planning Committee has unveiled the speakers and panelists for the 9th Annual Business
Law Conference, which takes place from Sunday June 7-9, 2015 at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel
and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.
As we join the rest of the business law community in its countdown to the conference, you will find
here weekly highlights of the conference, its speakers and panelists.
This year, the Annual Business Law Conference will feature an array of dynamic and erudite speakers
addressing topical issues including the impact of global trends on the Nigerian economy, Nigeria’s
ease of doing business and business development strategies for law firms.
Scheduled to speak at the PREMIUM PLENARY SESSION is the Chief economist of PwC’s UK
firm, JOHN HAWKSWORTH.
Based in London, Hawksworth leads
the macroeconomic research and
thought leadership programme covering
not just the UK but also the global
economy more generally. He has over
ON CHINA’S GROWING INVESTMENT
PORTFOLIO IN AFRICA
Much of this investment has been driven by
China’s ravenous appetite for natural resources,
including oil and gas, metals and other minerals. It
All is now set for the 9th Annual Business Law Conference of the
SBL). The conference, which seeks to engage industry regulators
environment, will hold from June 7-9, 2015, at the Eko Hotel &
Q: Regulators as Catalysts for
Economic Growth…” What
informed the theme for this
year’s conference?
By the nature of the work we
do, we have observed over the last few years,
(especially after the international financial
crisis), a growing and sustained international
investment interest in emerging African
economies. We also observed that most of
the long term capital flows have gone into
economies with large markets but markets
which have enabling statutory and regulatory
environments. We believe that an enabling
regulatory environment, where our regulators
are fair, certain, effective and pro-business,
will provide a competitive advantage in attracting
investment flows. So, we decided
that at our conference this year we would
engage our Regulators as it concerns ‘ease
of doing business’ in Nigeria. The objective
is to shape government policies and enhance
business processes in Nigeria. We believe our
Annual Business Law conference is a good
platform to focus on these discussions. It is
fundamental for our economic well being as
a nation that Nigeria is a preferred investment
destination.
25 years of experience as an economics consultant
in the UK and overseas, working with a wide range
of blue chip companies and governments, as well
as international institutions such as the World Bank
and the European Commission. He is also a regular
commentator on economic issues in the UK media.
In this edition, Hawksworth who will be speaking
on the ‘Long-Term Global Economic Trends And
Implications For Nigeria’ shares with us a sneakpeak
of his session at the conference.
HE SAID:
“I will take a look at some of the megatrends
that will influence the development of the global
economy over the next few decades, including demographics,
natural resource scarcity, technological
change and the shift in economic power to China,
India and other leading emerging economies. I will
then discuss the many opportunities this creates for
Nigeria, but also the challenges to be overcome to
realise this great potential.
HE ALSO SPEAKS ABOUT PwC’s WORLD
IN 2050 REPORT AND WHAT IT PROJECTS
FOR NIGERIA?
Our projections suggest that Nigeria could break
into the top 10 economies in the world, ranked by
GDP, by 2050 if it can follow appropriate growthfriendly
policies. But fulfilling this potential will
not be automatic, it requires sustained investments
in infrastructure, education and industrial development,
as well as enhanced political stability and rule
of law (as discussed further below).
is also aimed at getting access for Chinese goods to
fast-growing African consumer markets, not least in
Nigeria. In return, China has made valuable investments
in areas like transport infrastructure. I think
this investment will continue, but it needs to be on
terms that support development of more diversified
domestic economies in Nigeria and other African
countries. The nature of the Chinese investment
may also change as its economy shifts away from
a focus on low-cost manufactured exports towards
higher valued products and domestic-led consumer
growth that may be less resource-intensive.
ON DROPPING CRUDE OIL PRICES AND
WHAT NIGERIA SHOULD DO
In the short term, this clearly poses some challenges
for Nigeria, but there is also an opportunity
if it provides a stimulus to take faster action to diversify
Nigeria’s exports and government revenues
away from their current heavy reliance on oil and
gas. This would make the economy less sensitive
to global commodity price shocks and could create
more skilled jobs in areas like manufacturing and
business and financial services. This would make
growth more stable and sustainable in the long run.
He also speaks on significant demographic dividends
for Nigeria, increased investments, and other
critical issues about this economy. To hear more
and participate in the discourse, make it a date to
attend the 9th Annual Business Law Conference in
Lagos, May 7-9, 2015
How does the chosen theme for each year
drive participation? Are your participants
largely the same every year or would you
say the audience is driven either by the
theme, the sub-topics or the selected panel
at each conference?
It is always important that our theme is contemporary,
relevant, educative and topical to
drive the right kind of feet into the conference.
Participants, who cut across the private and
public sectors, and international investors,
also pay attention to the specific topics and
to the speakers chosen to discuss these topics.
We also have a large primary constituency of
our members who make it a duty to be part
of the conference each year. Participation is
driven by all of these factors.
“ With dwindling
and unstable oil
prices the diversification
of our economy
has become
even more critical.
We must do everything
possible to
attract new long
term money into
other areas of our
economy...”
If yes, who is your target audience for
the 2015 Annual Business Law Conference
(ABLC)?
Our conferences are structured to bring
value to a large target audience, the Public
Sector, the Private Sector, international investment
community, the judiciary and those
in the informal sector of the economy. There’s
a large offering for a wide range of participants.
This year we will focus on regulators
and how their work and the rules they set can
enhance our economic growth.
The ABLC this year has only nine (9)
sessions, albeit fully packed and cutting
across sectors. Is there a particular reason