By Lubem Gena
At the World Chambers Competition in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) capacity building arm known as Business Entrepreneurial Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre was adjudged out of 75 entries to be among the best five Chambers of Commerce on education projects in the world.
According to the Provost of the Centre, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba who spoke to Chamber Telegraph in an exclusive chat, “BEST is the only such institution from Africa and the first time Nigeria will be so honoured at the International Chambers of Commerce organized competition.
“I felt tall representing my Chamber, my country Nigeria, and indeed Africa, while standing amongst the best in the world.
“The support I got from the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines an Agriculture (NACCIMA) National President, Hajia Saratu Iya Aliyu and all the NACCIMA delegation was phenomenal. This achievement belongs to the whole NACCIMA and will be so presented. I thank the Immediate Past President of ACCI, Tony Ejinkenoye for laying the foundation for success and also ensuring we put in for the competition”, Prof. Adesugba maintained.
“The National President of NACCIMA Hajia Saratu Iya Aliyu who was at the occasion in Rio de Janerio with a Nigerian delegation. I am happy that the quality of the education project presented by the ACCI BEST Centre is of international standard and is the best from Africa.
“I am proud that a NACCIMA Centre is among the best five in the world, I congratulate ACCI President, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and the whole ACCI for a job well done, we are all happy at this development”.
In a related statement, the immediate past President of NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, MFR, congratulated Prof. Adesoji Adesugba the Provost of the ACCI BEST Centre, whom she called a ” a right peg in a right hole”.
Iyalode further admonished Prof Adesugba, who is also the Chairman of the NACCIMA Education Committee that “the success of your outings in Rio with ACCI BEST Centre should please be extended to NACCIMA together with our NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs. Well done. Long live ACCI! Long live NACCIMA!!”
The President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN, CON, said, “this achievement coming out of the BEST Centre is an admirable feat and I am very proud of Prof and his team led by Victoria Akai, the director. I know how long hours of hard work has been put into making the BEST Centre truly the best internationally in less than two years of establishment. All the members of ACCI salute you. We are proud of you, well done”.
BEST Centre was established by the ACCI with the main objective of operating a world-class learning centre for the development and improvement of entrepreneurship, technology and other vocational skills. It is a response to the massive skills gap and employability problem existing in Nigeria.
BEST has signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with notable institutions from across the world.
Meanwhile, the ACCI has been thrown into jubilation and messages of felicitation has started pouting in from key stakeholders in the Organised Private Sector (OPS) movement in Nigeria.
