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OBG introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Nigeria, in partnership with Ajumogobia & Okeke. There is also a viewpoint from Ovie Ukiri, Managing Partner, Ajumogobia & Okeke, on the Pension Reform Act of 2014.

In conjunction with PwC, OBG explores the taxation system. There is also a viewpoint from Taiwo Oyedele, Partner and Head of Tax and Regulatory Services, PwC Nigeria, on the need for reforms to streamline the tax system.

Home to the largest and one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in Africa, Nigeria’s youthful demographic profile could prove either a future economic asset or a significant social burden. Given that 63% of the country’s 170m people are under the age of 24, much will depend on the progress that can be made to improve the quality and capacity of its education system. Major improvements will be essential if the country is to fulfil its economic potential in the medium and long term. The government has been lauded for raising education spending, but observers still see funding as insufficient. Nigeria’s rapid population growth should translate into expanding demand for education for years to come. The growth of technical and vocational institutes will go a long way towards providing an alternative to universities short on spaces, and is helping to match the market with technical skills needed.

With almost half of all Nigerians living below the poverty line and facing the dual burden of a high incidence of both infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Nigeria’s under-funded public health system is under significant pressure. Accordingly, international aid organisations and the private sector have a major role to play in alleviating the burden on the state, and there is a strong need for stakeholders to work together to ensure that reliable and affordable health care reaches all segments of society. While significant progress has been made in the reduction of life-threatening infectious diseases and performance on key health indices is improving, there is still a long way to go to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG), an objective that is incorporated into Vision 20:2020, the country’s long-term economic development strategy. There are also hurdles to overcome in ensuring that every Nigerian, irrespective of geography and income, has access to basic health services. The Ministry of Health has proposed ambitious initiatives that could dramatically improve the provision of health care at all levels; execution and delivery will be dependent on key legislative bills being passed, the requisite funding being mobilised and the direction of the new administration. This chapter contains an interview with Colin Cummings, Chairman and CEO, Swiss Pharma Nigeria.

As Nigeria receives little in the way of mainstream leisure travellers, the tourism sector is represented mainly by the domestic, visiting friends and family (VFF), and corporate travel segments. While the tourism sector faces significant challenges, Nigeria is a market that any travel or hospitality business with serious international and continental ambitions can ill afford to avoid. The sector is anchored by a steady corporate base with deep pockets, and as the economy continues to grow and industrialise, the supply of hotel rooms is expected to lag demand for some time to come. If Nigeria’s natural and cultural offerings can be better packaged, and some of the prohibiting factors that currently deter discretionary travel can be addressed, a nascent leisure sector could emerge to diversify the visitor profile and encourage tourists to explore new Nigerian destinations.