The Lagos State government's investment promotion agency, the Office of SDGs and Investment (also known as Lagos Global), has expressed interest in participating in the Nigerian Investment Certification Programme for States (NICPS), anchored by NIPC. Permanent Secretary Mrs Abosede George confirmed Lagos Global's commitment during a visit by NIPC's Head of the South-West Zonal Office, Mr Hassan Lawal.
The NICPS certifies participating states on their ability to meet investor expectations across three standards: information, property and marketing. Lagos Global has already commenced work on digitalising applications for land permits and tax services, and plans to open One Stop Shops in three centres — Victoria Island, Lekki, and Ikeja — by March 2022. The State government will also introduce tax incentives and implement a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool to streamline investment processes.
Mr Lawal called for more productive collaboration with State Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) and encouraged greater awareness of doing business reforms carried out at the state level. The NICPS, which started in 2016, has so far seen only three states awarded certifications.
