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President Jonathan Tasks Mordi’s NCCN on Investment
President Goodluck Jonathan said Nigeria’s business competitiveness and ability to attract local and international investment will be significantly enhanced with the appointment of ex-banker Chika Mordi as the first chief executive of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN).
President Jonathan, who recently launched the NCCN, said, “This important step, by the National Competitiveness Council, underscores Nigeria’s commitment to rapidly transform the business environment and enhance productivity in Nigeria.”
President Jonathan inaugurated the council earlier this year, with Olusegun Aganga, Trade and Investment minister, as chairman; and Tony O. Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings, representing the private sector as vice chairman.
Other members drawn from the Nigerian and international communities include Michael Porter, Aliko Dangote, Lynda Chalker, and Dr Juan E. Pardinas, director, Mexican Institute for Competitiveness.
Aganga, a leading member of the President’s transformation team, said, ”We are pleased to have Mr. Mordi at the helm of the Council’s affairs. His track record demonstrates that he possesses the intellect, ambition and experience to help Nigeria attain global economic prominence.”
Mordi will lead a strategically placed body, part of the Jonathan administration’s wider policy to dramatically improve the ability of local and international businesses to conduct and operate business in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and home to one of the largest global consumer markets. Results of which will be measured by Nigeria’s rise in World Economic Forum’s Global Competitive Index and the World Bank’s Doing Business Index rankings – indices that are internationally acknowledged benchmarks for the openness of a nation’s economy.
Countries that successfully implement reforms and overhaul regulatory obstacles experience better economic outcomes, job creation and improved standards of living, according to the World Bank.
Elumelu, who is also the Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, which has provided a take-off grant for the council, said, “Competitiveness is a prerequisite for a country’s development.
The NCCN is working to create an enabling environment for the private sector to flourish. This is the only sustainable solution for Nigeria’s and Africa’s development. Mr. Mordi brings a skill set and track record that makes me feel highly confident that our objectives will be realised.”
The Council selected Mordi through an internationally advertised recruitment process, which identified a series of extremely talented individuals. He is the founder of Accender Africa, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that seeks to use new media to increase transparency in government, with the objective of poverty reduction.
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to contribute in a significant way to Nigeria’s development and its global business profile. The private sector is instrumental in creating sustainable growth, reducing poverty and boosting collective prosperity for Nigerians. NCCN is intrinsic to ensuring the right conditions are in place to secure Nigeria’s strong future; I am looking forward to the challenge,” Mordi said.
Mordi, a professional banker, spent over two decades in the finance industry and was instrumental in the dramatic transformation of Nigeria’s financial services industry, including repositioning of the United Bank for Africa Plc into one of Africa’s leading financial institutions. He has also helped incubate several businesses in Nigeria and Ghana, and in his investment banking career managed landmark transactions in sub-Saharan Africa in equities, fixed income, corporate finance, debt conversion, and privatisation.
Mordi is a trained economist and holds degrees from the University of Ilorin, IESE Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, American University’s Graduate School of Communications and John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
Cisco is exploring artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to support smallholder farmers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand digital inclusion and technology adoption.
The initiative focuses on improving agricultural productivity through accessible, data-driven tools.
The move aligns with growing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States under the Commercial and Investment Partnership, which prioritises the digital economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2026 World Business Chicago, Brian Tippens, chief social impact and inclusion Officer at Cisco, said the company is assessing practical AI applications to help farmers combine local knowledge with data insights.
He said Cisco is exploring tools such as AI-enabled WhatsApp communities, geospatial mapping and weather intelligence to support day-to-day farming decisions.
The approach reflects a shift towards low-cost, mobile-first solutions suited to rural environments.
Tippens added that the Cisco Foundation is investing in early-stage startups developing technologies for local agricultural challenges.
Industry analysts note that AI adoption in emerging markets depends on locally relevant solutions, rather than large-scale enterprise deployments alone.
Beyond agriculture, Cisco plans to expand digital skills development in Nigeria through programmes such as the Cisco Networking Academy’s One Million Learners initiative.
Tippens said the programme also supports partnerships with organisations working with persons with disabilities, including those developing tools for people with visual impairments.
He added that Cisco’s social impact strategy aims to improve access to technology and promote inclusion, including in conflict-affected regions such as Borno State.
Cisco’s initiatives form part of broader efforts to link digital skills, connectivity and AI adoption to economic development in Nigeria.
Federal Government has launched a nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building programme for teachers in Federal Unity Colleges, with about 11,700 educators set to acquire digital skills aimed at improving classroom instruction and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
The initiative advanced with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of the AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme.
The programme, to be implemented through the ministry’s Education Support Services Department, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector, strengthen teacher professionalism and equip students with skills required in the digital economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Director of the Education Support Services Department, Gabriel Amudipe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s teaching workforce and the future of education.
He said the nationwide rollout followed the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted in selected Federal Unity Colleges.
According to him, the implementation model developed by ICEDT Consult Limited will ensure effective coordination and quality delivery of the programme across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Amudipe urged officials responsible for monitoring the project to ensure strict compliance with the implementation guidelines and maintain the standards achieved during the pilot phase.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting innovative initiatives that strengthen teacher professionalism, improve learning outcomes and promote the responsible integration of emerging technologies into education,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Education Support Services Department, Oladele Fapohunda, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to deepen digital innovation across Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the objectives of the initiative nationwide.
Also speaking, the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Learning Scientist at ICEDT Consult Limited, Dr Abdulrahman Orosanya, said the Federal Government approved the national rollout after the successful pilot implementation in six Federal Unity Colleges representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Orosanya, the pilot demonstrated the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve lesson planning, classroom delivery, assessment methods and teachers’ productivity.
He said the nationwide implementation would strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve instructional delivery and support the government’s vision of building a technology-driven education system capable of producing globally competitive graduates equipped with 21st-century skills.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Terms of Reference by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, signalling the commencement of preparations for full implementation across all Federal Unity Colleges.
The ministry said the programme would directly train about 11,700 teachers, while thousands of students across the country’s Federal Unity Colleges are expected to benefit through improved classroom instruction, increased digital innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s education system, improve teacher quality and deliver inclusive, equitable and future-ready education nationwide.
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