At Nigeria-Britain Association Executive Roundtable Experts Discuss Environmental Issues Affecting Development

International trade policies should increasingly demand climate-friendly actions that build climate resilience and adaptation. Trade policies are powerful tools to encourage resource efficiency, scale up investment in environmental management and accelerate climate-smart innovations. This is part of the submission made at the maiden edition of the Nigeria-British Association (N-BA) executive roundtable held in the Prince Philip House building in London, the United Kingdom, on July 26, 2022.

L-R: Former President of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Mr Tunde Arogunmati; Director of Strategy at FBN Bank UK, Mr Carl Nordell; Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Isola; N-BA President, Ms. Abimbola Okoya; Vice Patron of the N-BA, Mr Philip Hall OBE; Past Vice President of the N-BA, Mrs Carolyn Hall at the maiden edition of the N-BA Executive Roundtable held in London, United Kingdom, on July 26, 2022

The roundtable, which aimed to explore how trade and the environment interact with each other, subsequent to the expansion of global trade and the increasing integration of global value chains, was organized in partnership with FBN Bank UK, NEM Insurance Plc, Leventis Foundation, Co-Creation Hub, Nobleserve Capital Management, Scib Nigeria and Company. Queen Mercillina Media supported it; Obaseki Solicitors, Digital Marketing Skill Institute, Nigerian Investment Summit and The Skill Mill

The major topics discussed at the occasion are: ‘Environmental Issues that affect Investments, Trade and Industry,’ ‘Saving the Environment - Who will do it? Who will pay for it? And why?’; and ‘The Role of the Media in Saving the Environment.’

Setting the tone for the occasion with her address themed ‘Nigeria-Britain Association as a Prime Promoter of Friendship for Common Good,’ President of the N-BA, Abimbola Okoya, enunciated some of the initiatives and activities of the Association, including the N-BA executive roundtable, which she referred to as some of the many success stories of the N-BA.

“The subject of the first executive roundtable event is very topical and timely, considering the extreme heat experienced in the UK recently and the fact that environmental issues affect trade and investment between Nigeria and other nations. The goal of the roundtable is to get the eco-system: government, the private sector, NGOs and a few other organizations to work together so as to forge a solution. There will be discussions by Nigerians and Britons on some of the issues that impact climate and how we can collaborate and come up with initiatives that we can follow through. We want to ensure that we have major networking platforms that we can leverage on so as to make a real sustainable impact.

“We are also going to celebrate Nigeria Independence Day in October this year. This has become increasingly important because of the rate of migration to the United Kingdom from Nigeria. So, we need to celebrate with Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in the diaspora,” she said while commenting on the executive roundtable and other initiatives and events of the N-BA.

L-R: Former President of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Mr Tunde Arogunmati; N-BA Assistant Hon Secretary, Mr Tobi Asehinde; Founding Partner, Obaseki Solicitors, Dr Jennifer Obaseki; N-BA President, Ms Abimbola Okoya; Executive Chairman, Strategic Alliance Promotion Company, Mr Sonny Iroche; Managing Director, Chiswick Park Studios, Ms Lindsey Oliver and Vice Patron of the N-BA, Mr Philip Hall OBE, at the maiden edition of the N-BA Executive Roundtable held in London, United Kingdom, on July 26, 2022.

In his speech, the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, while commenting on the collaboration between the governments of Nigeria and the United Kingdom through the Economic Development Forum, gave assurance of the Nigerian government’s commitment in the area of standards for market access and the High Commission’s support in assisting potential investors to link them up with their Nigerian counterparts.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, who joined the event virtually, spoke on the topic, ‘Environmental Issues that affect Investments, Trade and Industry.’ She said that environmental issues consist of air pollution through emissions resulting from the use of old equipment, lack of modernization, water pollution, desertification, industrial waste, solid waste due to poor management of sanitary infrastructure and climate change.

L-R: Managing Director, James Cubitt Architects, Mr Alan Davies; Former President of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Mr Tunde Arogunmati; N-BA President, Ms Abimbola Okoya; COP26 Regional Ambassador for the Middle East and Africa, Ms Janet Rogan; Vice Patron of the N-BA, Mr Philip Hall OBE; Director, Banana Island School, Mrs Moulin Sade Marriott; and Past Vice President of the N-BA, Mrs Carolyn Hall, at the maiden edition of the N-BA Executive Roundtable held in London, the United Kingdom, on July 26, 2022

During a panel discussion, the COP26 Regional Ambassador for the Middle-East and Africa, Janet Rogan, observed that businesses globally are starting to realize that they are part of the climate solutions to the issues faced in every society and country. We all have to be part of fixing our fragile and stressed communities and societies and getting them better.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion were Vice Patron of the N-BA, Mr Philip Hall OBE, who delivered a speech on behalf of former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku CFR; former President of the N-BA, Mr Tunde Arogunmati; Director of Strategy at FBN Bank UK, Mr Carl Nordell; Past Vice President of the N-BA, Mrs Carolyn Hall; and President and Head of Global Network, Let’s Do It, Heidi Solba.

L-R: Former British Deputy High Commissioner to Lagos, Mr Robin Gwynn; Former President of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Mr Tunde Arogunmati; Director of Strategy at FBN Bank UK, Mr Carl Nordell; Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom - Ambassador Sarafa Isola; N-BA President, Ms. Abimbola Okoya; Vice Patron of the N-BA, Mr Philip Hall OBE; Past Vice President of the N-BA, Mrs Carolyn Hall and MD, James Cubitt Architects, Mr Alan Davies, at the maiden edition of the N-BA Executive Roundtable held in London, United Kingdom

The N-BA executive roundtable, which is in line with the Association’s strategic direction – The BIG IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Empowerment and Agility) – has come and gone. It is hoped that stakeholders will work together to action some of the takeouts from the roundtable.

The N-BA is a non-profit-making trust dedicated to developing relationships between individuals and organisations in Nigeria, Britain and the Commonwealth.

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Source: Legit.ng