OSGoF, firm to develop business inventory in Nigeria

The Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGoF) and Focus Guide Nigeria Limited have concluded a pact to develop a comprehensive business listing and address verification project, aimed at creating a digital base for companies in the country.

Surveyor General of the Federation, Abuduganiyu Adebomehin, spoke at a joint press conference in Abuja, explaining that it would transform the way businesses are registered, verified, and regulated, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Adebomehin also added that the project will make it easier for entrepreneurs to start and operate businesses and provide accurate data for economic planning, policy-making, and decision-making by government agencies and stakeholders in the industry.

Represented by Director of Infrastructure Survey, Sally Ekagbo, he declared, “We are excited to partner with the firm to deliver this critical project. Our goal is to create a robust and reliable platform that will drive economic growth and improve the ease of doing business.”

The Surveyor General therefore maintained that the partnership will demonstrate the commitment of both organisations to leveraging technology to enhance investor confidence, improve infrastructure planning, and create jobs for youths.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the Firm, Mr Eddie Chris, hinted that Nigeria’s digital market presents a vast opportunity, with 41.5 million businesses, but less than 10 per cent utilising online platforms, and aims to bridge the gap between businesses and the digital market.

Eddie projected that by 2025, the number of smartphone users is expected to rise from 25 to 40 million to 140 million. He said that with the directory, users will be able to view ratings alongside integration with mapping services for easy location identification in Nigeria.

He said, “We are targeting customers and consumers, investors and entrepreneurs, government agencies and regulatory bodies, research institutions, and academia. Based on this, our projected target is 10 million businesses registered in the next five years.”