*Says One In-One Out Rule To Be Implemented
* My Government Will Try To Maintain The Right Business Climate And Make Sure There Is Ease In Doing Business In Lagos — Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, Governor, Lagos State
* Supreme Court Has Embraced Technology To Improve Her Services — Acting CJN, Tanko

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the 9th National Assembly will look into reforming the Corporate Tax System in the Country, and also implement the One in-One out Rule.

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila made this statement while giving a keynote address at the 13th NBA- SBL Annual Business Law Conference, with the theme: “Growth, Investment And Employment; Beyond Rhetorics”, held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos State.

The Lawmaker said that as a practicing lawyer for several years and now a politician/legislator, he understands the challenges we face today in the country and believes they are not insurmountable, but that we cannot look at the government to solve these problems alone, adding that, the private sectors must come in too.

He stressed that there must be investment before employment comes, and that the government has invested and still investing in the economy; but more needs to be done to create a significant impact in the society. He believes that regulations from the government should not be burdensome to the business environment, hence the need to reform the Corporate Tax System.

He also added that they will set up a working group made up of Legislators and Business Leaders in the country, which will serve as a forum to understand the various challenges in this sector and provide working solutions to them.

“There will be a level playing field between SMEs and Big firms and the possibility of giving governments contracts to SMEs,” he said. He also emphasized that the 9th Assembly will try her best to promise what they will achieve and make sure there will be a lot of reforms in the business environment in order to improve our ranking in the ease of doing business.

He also spoke on security and climate change, promising that the government will take positive steps to address them. Speaking at the event, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, thanked SBL for the opportunity to speak on the plans the state government has for the business environment. He also believes investment is critical to create the needed economic growth the country needs to be at par with our present population. He said that his government will try to maintain the right business climate and make sure there is ease in doing business in Lagos.

“Lagos is critical to national economic growth and so making Lagos great is not just a political slogan but a statement of fact to make the state more attractive for investment and business, to make the state a 21st century economy,” he affirmed.

Mr. Sanwoolu also hinted on plans to improve infrastructure in the state like the intra city rail network, which will be one of a kind and provide jobs for Lagos state youths. He said that public-private partnership is critical to achieving the big plans his government has for the state and promised that the Lagos State Government will be at the forefront in leading the implementation of the recommendations from this year’s conference.

Mr. Seni Adio, SAN, Chairman of the NBA-SBL welcomed all the special guests present at the event. He said the SBL is looking forward to putting into action as many incisive recommendations and solutions that will evolve from the conference.

The NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN while giving his opening speech congratulated the Governor of Lagos State and Speaker of the House of Reps for winning their election. He also emphasized that the Governor will also host in Lagos the NBA National Conference in August this year and the president, International Bar Association IBA, Horacio Bernardes Neto, will be present at the event. He also added that the SBL has been very hard working and believes the conference will be a great one.

Giving the goodwill message, the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko, ably represented by Hon, Justice Rhodes Vivour, said the NBA-SBL is a dynamic and vibrant section. According to him, the section is indeed business-like in its deliberations which reflect in this year’s theme.

He noted that the Supreme Court has embraced technology to improve her services, like filing of cases online, enable prompt resolution of disputes, and other pertinent services. He, therefore, thanked the organizers for the opportunity and wished everyone a wonderful event.

The Vice Chairman of the NBA-SBL, Mr. Ayuli Jemide, on the other hand presented SBL’s scorecard. He described all the past presidents and how they impacted positively in the running of the section. He noted that the conference started with 450 delegates in attendance in 2006 and today they are recording 1300 delegates as a result of the improvements the various past and present presidents put in place. He noted that SBL currently organizes 52 events in a year, stressing that the SBL has a good internal democracy which is why they change leadership with ease without rancor.

The conference is expected to last till the 28th day of June, 2019. It was opened with the dinner on 26th which was anchored by Mr. Ebere Young. The Chairman, 13th NBA-SBL Conference Planning Committee, Dr. Adeoye Adefulu, gave a preview of the conference and what delegates should be expecting from this year’s conference. He noted that there has been a decline in Foreign Direct Investment into the country, youth unemployment rate in the rise at 36.5% presently; that we need to take stock and plan very well for the future of the country, stressing that the conference is NBA-SBL’s contribution to these challenges.

TheNigerialawyer (TNL) recalls that during the conference, there will be 14 sessions in all, 6 plenary sessions and 8 breakout sessions. The Sessions will feature: TRIAGE- The Nigerian Economy; Health, Security and Education- Foundation for inclusive growth; Leading the Charge- The Private Sector and The Nigerian Economy; Smarter Regulation- A catalyst for Growth, Investment and Employment; The Future of Law- Adapting to the changing face of the Legal practice; and Debate- The Path to Partnership while the breakout sessions will be discussing Moving From Crude Export to Value Addition, Sexual Harassment in the Work Place, Investing in Trade: Options Challenges & Key to Success, Building Investor Confidence in the Administration of Civil Justice, Making Mining in Nigeria Work, The Agriculture Value Chain as a Stimulant for Economic Growth, Improving Financial Services to Grow MSMEs and The New Era of Taxation in Nigeria.

The event was braced with the presence of dignitaries such as the Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, the Speaker of the Federal House of Representative, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, The AG Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko CFR ably represented by Hon. Justice Rhodes Vivour, the Chief Justice of the Lagos State Judiciary, Justice Kazeem Alubah, and Hon. Jimi Benson of the Federal House of Representatives.

"Exciting news! TheNigeriaLawyer is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest legal insights!" Click here! ....................................................................................................................... Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and other digital content on this website, in whole or in part, without express and written permission from TheNigeriaLawyer, is strictly prohibited _________________________________________________________________ [Register Now] ILA Nigeria Branch Marks 10 Years With Infrastructure Financing As Theme For 7th Annual Conference The International Law Association - Nigeria Branch 7th annual conference on public-private partnerships for sustainable infrastructure financing, April 4-5 in Abuja. Details: https://ilanigeria.org.ng/conference _________________________________________________________________

NIALS' Compendia Series: Your One-Stop Solution For Navigating Nigerian Laws (2004-2023)

Email: info@nials.edu.ng, tugomak@yahoo.co.uk, Contact: For Inquiry and information, kindly contact, NIALS Director of Marketing: +2348074128732, +2348100363602.