FG HOLDS FIRST-EVER PRIVATE SECTOR DIALOGUE SERIES IN LAGOS, PROMISES ‘POLICY WITH THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR THEM’

By Ademola Adekusibe
November 3, 2025.

The federal government, through the ministry of finance, has launched the maiden edition of the Government-Private Sector (GPS) Dialogue Series, a new platform aimed at bridging the gap between policymakers and business operators across Nigeria.

The event, themed “Finance and SME Growth Roundtable,” was held on Saturday, November 1, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. It brought together key heads of federal agencies, including the Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

Speaking at the session, Doris Uzoka-Anite, minister of state for finance, said the initiative marks a shift toward a more “present, responsive, and accountable” government.

“Policy must not be written for the people but with them,” Uzoka-Anite said. “This dialogue series is a platform where the voices of entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders directly shape the priorities of governance. Government can design policy, business can activate productivity, and together, we can build prosperity.”

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, who joined the session virtually, lauded the initiative as a necessary step toward inclusive reform.

“Dialogue, timing, and consultation are the keys to effective reform,” Edun said, announcing the forthcoming National Single Window Project, a digital platform designed to reduce trade costs and improve import/export efficiency.

The first edition of the dialogue featured business leaders and traders of southeast origin based in Lagos, who described the engagement as “the first genuine collaboration between government and traders in decades.”

To ensure continuous engagement, Uzoka-Anite launched a WhatsApp coordination forum linking traders, associations, and federal agencies.

The forum, she said, will “turn conversations into coordinated action.”

Officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and Computer Village Technology Merchants (ACOVITEMN) were also in attendance.