RismadarVoice Reporters
October 15, 2026
The NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN) has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to intensify efforts to promote private sector development, investment and economic integration across Africa.
The group said strengthening the private sector was essential to improving Nigeria’s competitiveness, expanding economic opportunities and positioning African economies to participate more effectively in global trade.
Chairman of NBGN, Bashorun Randle, made the call in a statement paying tribute to the late Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, whose contributions to business development and African economic cooperation he described as significant.
Randle urged policymakers to sustain initiatives that encourage entrepreneurship, attract investment and create an enabling environment for businesses to grow.
He maintained that Nigeria and other African countries must place greater emphasis on private sector participation in economic development to strengthen their positions in the international marketplace.
According to him, Tukur’s commitment to economic integration demonstrated the importance of sustained collaboration between governments and businesses in advancing Africa’s development.
The NBGN chairman highlighted Tukur’s involvement in establishing the African Business Roundtable (ABR), where he served in several leadership capacities, including Executive President, Grand Patron and President Emeritus.
He described the organisation as an important platform for promoting African business interests and encouraging economic cooperation across national boundaries.
Randle said Tukur consistently advocated a development model in which private enterprises played a leading role in generating wealth, creating employment, attracting investment and supporting sustainable economic growth.
He argued that these principles remained relevant as African economies sought to expand industrial capacity, improve productivity and strengthen their participation in international trade.
The chairman further urged governments to develop policies that support business expansion, encourage cross-border investment and deepen economic integration among African countries.
He said preserving Tukur’s legacy required more than recognising his contributions, stressing that policymakers should translate his vision into practical measures capable of strengthening the continent’s business environment.
Randle reaffirmed the group’s position that a competitive and productive private sector was central to Africa’s long-term economic development.
He called for sustained government commitment to policies that enable businesses to expand, generate employment and contribute meaningfully to economic growth in Nigeria and across the continent.
