Government urged to create enabling business environment

Investors seeking opportunities in the country have emphasized the need for government to implement the right policies that would enhance the growth of business activities by creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

These were the assertions of Chief Executive Officer, Chimex Phoneland Limited, Emebo Chimezie, at the launch of its new branch in Lagos.

Chimezie said lack of basic infrastructure, multiple taxes and poor electricity forestall existence of small businesses.

According to him, the establishment of a local manufacturing phone plant in the country would create employment for local hands, and create synergy with foreign counterparts that will also increase the skills of many Nigerians.

He said though establishing manufacturing phone company is capital intensive, government must show interest by supporting investors to bring the company onboard.

In his words: “I have been thinking about establishing a phone manufacturing company in Nigeria. It is capital intensive but it is something I will love to do if government can be of help. If we can have one in Nigeria, it will create more employment and develop the nation’s economy.

“We have already trained engineers that know how to repair phones. This set of people can work in any phone manufacturing company.”

He added: “For example, Chinese people who manufacture phones don’t have factories in Nigeria. But they produce phones and bring down to Nigeria and after selling, they take the money back to their country, creating employment for their people.”

Speaking on why the company was created, he said it was set up to provide affordable phones for the masses that do not have access to phone or money to purchase expensive phones.

He said the company’s vision was to create employment for Nigerian youths and train them to become phone and software engineers, adding that the company was targeting 200 jobs before the end of 2018 from current 110 jobs.

However, he lamented that his organisation has been facing a lot of challenges, as government is not making things easy in the area of multiple taxation from federal, state and local governments.