Jamilu Charanchi:”We Cannot Allow Lagos To Be Enjoying 70 to 80% Of Importation In This Country”

In a video broadcast on Voice TV, the CNG has demanded that the Nigerian government undertake substantial changes to the country’s import policies and corporate headquarters distribution. Charanchi highlighted the necessity of opening all land borders to enhance trade and reduce economic imbalances. He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize this issue as part of any reform initiatives aimed at improving the economic situation.

Charanchi also took issue with the disproportionate concentration of economic activity in Lagos, which he claimed controls a large percentage of the country’s imports. The CNG believes that this concentration of power and wealth in Lagos is exacerbating inequality and undermining the economic potential of other regions. The coalition is advocating for a more balanced economic structure that benefits all regions of the country.

To address this imbalance, the CNG has called for a drastic relocation of corporate headquarters. The group believes that moving the headquarters of communication companies and other major corporations from Lagos to Abuja would help redistribute the nation’s commercial advantages more fairly across Nigeria. This shift, they argue, would help reduce the over-reliance on Lagos and promote a more inclusive economic development model.

In addition to corporate distribution, the CNG has also raised concerns over the current system of Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution, claiming that it disproportionately benefits Lagos at the expense of other regions. The coalition believes that this inequity contributes to the growing economic divide in the country and is calling for reforms that ensure a more equitable distribution of resources.

In his words, “We are saying categorically that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has any reform that he wants to do in this sector, we call on him firstly that all land borders in this country must be opened. We cannot allow Lagos to be enjoying 70 to 80% of importation in this country. All communication companies, all headquarters of any company in Nigeria that is situated in Lagos should be taken back to Abuja.”