TheCable

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has advocated for a law mandating all businesses in Nigeria to register with the various chambers of commerce. 

Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, ACCI president, said such law will lead to the ease of doing business and growth of the nation’s economy.

He said this while addressing journalists in Abuja before he was inaugurated as the 11th president of ACCI on Thursday.

There is currently no distinct act establishing the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) whose membership is voluntary.

Abubakar said with the existence of such an act, the chambers would be in a better position to fight for the interest of businesses in the country.

“I have visited some chambers in various countries and, in Jordan for instance, every business must be a member of the chamber of commerce and you can see how powerful they are. It is the law that states you must be a member,” he said.

“So, it means the government cannot do anything in relation to business without consulting the chamber because they know the chamber is legally the mouthpiece of businesses in Nigeria.

“We also feel we should do something similar in Nigeria here. If you have a law that recognises the chamber, the government cannot do anything without consulting the chamber.”

He, however, admitted that enacting such law is not an easy process and could take “up to three or even ten years.”

“If we are able to talk to the right people, it will help. If we are able to reach the president to convince him, he will now speed up the process. But we have to start somewhere and that is what we are going to do now,” he added.

Abubakar is the current managing director of APT Pensions and has been a member of ACCI for over 20 years.