•Ambode pledges to partner on investment opportunities.

•Ambode pledges to partner on investment opportunities

President of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Babatunde Paul Ruwase, has urged the Federal Government to empower the private sector for job creation, and improve ease of doing business in the country.

Speaking yesterday at the Lagos State Day at the Trade Fair, Ruwase said the drop in the rating of ease of doing business in Nigeria showed that government needs to pay more attention to the area.He also suggested that business friendly loans are critical to improving the ease of doing business policy.

Ruwase stated that globalisation has forced the need to connect businesses, which is what the trade fairs provide. Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Idiat Adebule, urged the private sector to partner the state government to positively explore the abundant business and investment opportunities in the state.

Ambode said the state is investor- friendly and with the right partnership, the state government is committed to doing more.The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the state government understands that small and medium enterprises are key to growing the economy and the success of the state; hence the government pays special attention to small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

On alleged drop in ease of doing business in Nigeria, she said for the state government, things can only get better, but would go back to the drawing board to strategise and see how to improve it in Lagos as the economic hub of Nigeria. Oladunjoye said the government was committed to supporting the trade fair, because it provides huge opportunities for businesses, which would impact its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).