I still believe Nigeria is the greatest place to do business, GTBank MD

Mr. Segun Agbaje, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank Plc, has urged businessmen not to allow the exchange rate determine their success of their businesses.

Agbaje made disclosure during the April 2016 edition of Business Wednesday, an interactive platform that facilitates networking, information sharing, and bonding, hosted by The Market Place Alliance of This Present House.

The GTBank boss while sharing useful insights on successfully running a business and ultimately creating lasting value in present-day Nigeria.

He made a brief recap of his career trajectory in GTBank, before he delved into the socio-economic dynamics of the Nigeria since 1991 when he joined the bank.

He said, “I still believe Nigeria is the greatest place on earth to do business. Africa as a continent is the best place to do business. There are a few countries with the population we have and at the least, 50 per cent are below 28. Who else has 170 million people to sell products to?”

“When the rate was N22 to $1, you didn’t have cars. N150 to $1, you didn’t own a car, but at N200 and N300 you bought cars. At N400 you will buy houses. There are opportunities that come with devaluation.

The only way forward in a country like Nigeria is to have the SMEs sector developed. It’s not corporations that will fix Nigeria, it’s an amalgamation of SMEs that will take the country forward,” he said.

Convener of the event, Pastor Tony Rapu, further elaborated on the need for more engagements such as TPH Business Wednesday, saying things can no longer be business-as-usual.

“The reality of the 21st century demands a better approach for high performance, and This Present House’s Business Wednesday service is a great platform to exchange ideas. We are excited to have Mr. Agbaje on this platform with us today, and we are confident that the insights shared will inspire us to attain for greatness in spite of the current economic situation,” he said.

He explained that Business Wednesday is an initiative of House of Freedom, a group of faith-based initiatives, including This Present House, Freedom Foundation and The Waterbrook.