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Vivacity Development Emphasizes Nigeria’s Role in the Future of Work at the United Nations General Assembly

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As the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States approaches, global leaders and stakeholders prepare to engage in high-level discussions on policies and ideas that could impact the economic trajectories of their respective countries. Among the many international actors poised to contribute to these discussions is Vivacity Development, led by Oluwakemi Ann-Melody Areola. Vivacity Development will be organizing a significant side event at UNGA, focused on Nigeria’s critical role in the evolving future of work, as well as issues related to climate change, technology, youth empowerment, and agriculture.

Speaking ahead of the event, Oluwakemi highlighted the unique opportunity the UNGA provides for tackling global challenges, emphasizing that Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in conversations shaping the future of work. “UNGA is a global platform where critical discussions about the world’s most pressing issues take place, making it the perfect setting for a conversation about the future of work,” she said. “We were inspired to host this event because the evolving nature of work is central to sustainable development and improving lives globally, particularly in regions like Nigeria. With technology, youth engagement, and meaningful employment at the forefront, it’s crucial to address these topics during such an influential gathering.”

Vivacity Development’s initiative comes at a time when the global economy is undergoing profound changes. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated trends in remote work, automation, and digitalization, reshaping labor markets worldwide. In Nigeria, however, the transition has been more challenging due to infrastructure gaps, technology barriers, and limited education on data protection and digital skills. Oluwakemi stressed that addressing these issues head-on is vital for Nigeria’s future, not just in terms of catching up with global trends, but also in harnessing its enormous potential, particularly through its youthful population.

Oluwakemi noted that the upcoming side event will bring together global thought leaders who have successfully implemented future-of-work strategies in various countries. These experts will provide insights that can help tailor solutions to Nigeria’s unique economic and societal landscape. “By leveraging these experiences, we aim to develop a tailored plan for Nigeria that takes its unique challenges and opportunities into account,” she said. “Through this, we can ensure that Nigeria’s workforce is empowered to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy.”

The event, which is the phase 1 of the program is designed to deliver long-term, sustainable outcomes for Nigeria’s workforce. It will center on sensitization and open dialogues to explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding the future of work, while secondly it will focus on upskilling individuals to better prepare them for the evolving workforce.And finally will culminate in tangible job creation efforts, ensuring that the discussions and training from earlier phases lead to real employment opportunities and sustainable economic growth.

With the positive outlook for the event, Oluwakemi seeks more collaboration with key Nigerian stakeholders, including government bodies and private sector leaders. She believes that Nigeria’s involvement in shaping the future of work is not just an option, but a necessity. “This is an event that both government and private individuals should be part of,” she said. “The pandemic has dramatically reshaped the way we work, and Nigerian workers are already facing significant challenges due to technology barriers and a lack of infrastructure. If we don’t act now, we risk falling even further behind.”

She reflected on a recent webinar organized by Vivacity Development, which brought together people from various sectors to deliberate on these pressing issues. While the webinar revealed valuable insights, Oluwakemi wants Nigerians from different works of life to be fully engaged in the conversation.She remains hopeful that future collaborations, such as the upcoming UNGA side event, will drive broader participation.

Vivacity Development is not working in isolation. Oluwakemi highlighted the organization’s collaborations with a diverse range of partners, including government agencies, NGOs, private enterprises, and international organizations. Each partner brings unique expertise, from focusing on the green economy and youth empowerment to offering insights into technology and workforce development aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, they aim to ensure that the side event at UNGA reflects a broad spectrum of perspectives, with a shared goal of creating actionable strategies for shaping the future of work in Nigeria.

In conclusion, Oluwakemi reiterated the need for collective action to address Nigeria’s workforce challenges. “We are at a pivotal moment where the decisions we make today about the future of work will determine our nation’s prosperity for decades to come,” she said. “Nigeria has the talent, the youth, and the drive, but we need to build the systems and strategies to support them in this new world of work. This is why our event at UNGA is so important.”

As the UNGA approaches, Vivacity Development’s side event promises to be a critical moment for Nigeria, offering a platform for the country to redefine its role in the global workforce and ensure its participation in the future of work

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Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

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Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D

The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.

The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.

In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”

The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.

The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.

Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.

In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.

Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.

Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.

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