By Wale Kasali
The acute lack of infrastructure in the country is been said to be a major hinderance to entrepreneurial growth and viability.
Making this assertion is the Managing Director of Bullion Go-Neat Global Ltd, Olufemi Ajadi, who lamented the poor state of infrastructural development in the country.
Speaking to a Group of Journalists, including the forum of the Commerce & Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria CICAN, he urged the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government to do something about it as a matter of urgency.
He said that no serious government would allow the level of disrepair of public infrastructure the way it is being seen in the country currently, wondering why the administration had not thought it urgent enough to fix electricity, roads and water.
"It is obvious that there is an acute lack of basic infrastructure in the country.
"Many roads are impassable, and the several potholes in others lead to vehicular deaths within a short time of commuting on them".
He said as a company he had been forced to jettison reliance on public electricity supply for a long time now but that that had resulted to increase overheads and subsequently higher prices.
Ajadi said the challenges posed for entrepreneurs by the absence of the above was being worsened by double taxation.
According to him, the agencies of the government need to explain what and why they were duplicating taxes for companies struggling to survive.
“The way things are in the country now, it has become extremely difficult for companies, SMEs to survive.
"if the government truly wants to make the economy to grow, the, it should address these problems.
“I know what I suffered before I was able to stand, but not many entrepreneurs can have that kind of survival quality. Government should come to the aid of entrepreneurs.
"it needs these companies to fight youth idleness and crime, it should also make banks provide soft loans for business".
He reiterated the point that the level of crime would have reduced had there been a conducive environment for entrepreneurs.
Ajadi however encouraged upcoming entrepreneurs not to relent, as according to him, perseverance would enable them succeed in their endeavours.
He reiterated the need for the government to harmonise taxes payable by entrepreneurs to make business environment more permissive for entrepreneurs.
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