What We Do

What We Do

The Niger Coalition of Business and Professional Associations (NICOBPA) was established primarily to contribute to the economic growth of the state. The coalition works to support public policy reforms initiatives that will foster an enabling business environment for the development of Niger state economy. The coalition is recognized as an important body that seeks grassroots opinions on business and professional matters and presents them through advocacy and public engagements with the state government and other authorities both at national and local levels.

To implement our roles, the coalition’s core services are:

Research

NICOBPA periodically commissions researches into priority issues that affects business growth and development in Niger state. NICOBPA conducts this through qualitative and quantitative methods to identify key issues and provide policy recommendations for relevant stakeholders. The aim of this is to document properly the critical areas of concern of the business and professional community in Niger state and amplify those issues with actionable recommendations to reach relevant stakeholders. In 2016, NICOBPA conducted a research that produced the first Niger State Business Agenda. This policy document was used for advocacy engagements with relevant stakeholders and reviewed in 2020 to produce a revised Niger State Business Agenda. The revised SBA was produced to highlight the present realities of the business and professional communities.

Evidence-based Advocacy

As a premier coalition for the private sector in the state, NICOBPA carries out intervention in form of advocacy to the government and other relevant stakeholders to discuss priority issues affecting the business development and growth of Niger and state economy. NICOBPA engages with the state government and other stakeholders on various socio-economic issues through evidence-based advocacy especially with the use of the state business agendas.  The core of NICOBPA’s work is to engage in policy reform discourses  and since inception; NICOBPA has been able to achieve that with the advocacy interventions. Some of the Ministries, Departments And Agencies(MDA) NICOBPA engages with through advocacy are:

  • Niger State Governor.
  • Niger State Road Maintenance Agency (NIGROMA) on the issues of the maintenance of dilapidated roads in the State.
  • Niger State House of Assembly on the need to make laws that will be favorable to businesses in the State.
  • Federal Inland Revenue and Board of Internal Revenue Services on the need to harmonize various taxes.
  • Bank of Industry, Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Agriculture on available windows for access to credit for members of private sector and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company on issues of power supply.

Public-Private Dialogue

In finding solution to series of complaints on multiple taxation, NICOBPA carried out public Private Dialogue on tax issues. This was a success as there is tax harmonization in the Local governments of the state. NICOBPA also conducts public-private dialogue on pertinent socio-economic challenges and provides solutions for strategic policy reforms.

Other Services Include:

  • Act as information bank for members and businesses
  • Standardization of business practices and ethics