Kwara ranks 31st in ease of doing business

By Mike Adeyemi
The ranking of the World Bank of the 36 States on Ease of Doing business has revealed that Kwara State ranked 31st out of the 36 States in Nigeria, according to a report.
The low ranking according to the findings was as a result of the difficulties that investors encounter in trying to engage in doing Business in Kwara State, resulting in investors preferring neighbouring states as investment destinations rather than Kwara State.
The reported stated that World Bank uses the criteria of: Business Premise Registration, Dealing with Construction Permit, Registering a Property, and Enforcing Contracts in rating countries on ease of doing business.
The findings added that federating states in Nigeria are also ranked on these criteria, and the last ranking done saw Kwara State ranked 31 out of 36 States.
The reports read in part: “Kaduna State is leading on the index log and this is because she looked inward to drive investors.
“Investment will elude society where there is no ease of doing business. Economic growth will not be visible where there is no security, infrastructure among others.”
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Kwara Chambers of Commerce, Mine and Industry (KWACCIMA), Dr. Ahmed Raji has urged Kwara State Government to give soft loans to people in the formal and informal sector as a way of strengthening the economy post COVID-19 lockdown.
According to him, ‘the emergence of the novel coronavirus no doubt has paralyzed business activities across the globe with Kwara State not left out and one of the way forward is for the government to strengthen economic activities in the formal and informal sector.
“KWACCIMA is not a company; it is an assemblage of men with similar interest. What is happening now cuts across every sphere of our economy coupled with the EndSARS problem.
“It has really paralyzed economic activities. Even the N500 millions incentive plan of the Kwara State Government to affected businesses will not be enough, but it’s meant to be a palliative measure, “Raji noted.
He added that for Kwara State to retain its good index of economic vibrancy, the government must adopt 3 Is.
“The Kwara State government has tried to put lots of things in shape and I had advised that it must ensure adoption of 3 Is which is infrastructure, investment and incentive. These are the three criteria.
“From our projection 2021 will be a prosperous year for businesses in Kwara. We urged that government should not renege on the proposed N500 million palliative to both informal and formal sectors. If this is done, it would drive growth and rejig Kwara economy,” he added.