Entrepreneur: Enabling environment will unlock North’s economy

A Kwara-based entrepreneur, Yusuf Babatunde Abdullahi, has called on governments at all levels to prioritise pro-business policies and create an enabling environment to unlock Northern Nigeria’s vast economic potential.

Abdullahi, Chairman of Ilorin Emirate Mall, made the call in an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH, where he outlined the structural challenges limiting business growth and national industrialisation.

According to him, Nigeria’s ambition to become an industrial hub capable of driving Africa’s economic transformation can only be achieved through a coordinated and multi-layered strategy.

“Nigeria must adopt a deliberate and multi-pronged industrialisation framework that ensures growth across sectors and regions. Fragmented policies and weak implementation have continued to undermine our potential,” he said.

The businessman, widely known as “Gamji” for his ideological alignment with the legacy of Ahmadu Bello, stressed that the country’s economic challenges are not due to lack of resources but structural inefficiencies

“Our problem is not the absence of resources. Nigeria is richly endowed with both human and natural resources. The real issue is the inability to convert these into productivity, wealth, and public welfare,” he observed.

Abdullahi argued that small and medium-scale enterprises must be placed at the centre of Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, noting that they remain critical drivers of job creation and economic expansion.

He urged policymakers to introduce targeted reforms, including access to affordable financing, tax incentives, and regulatory support for businesses.

“These could come in the form of start-up capital, low-interest loans with structured repayment plans, tax holidays, streamlined taxation systems, and duty-free importation of manufacturing equipment,” he said.

The entrepreneur also identified poor infrastructure, particularly erratic power supply and inadequate road networks, as major constraints to industrial growth.

“If basic infrastructure is fixed, the rate at which businesses will grow and contribute to the economy will be remarkable,” he pointed out.

Reflecting on his business journey, Abdullahi disclosed that his investments across oil and gas, real estate, and retail especially the Ilorin Emirate Mall were driven by a desire to stimulate local economic development and inspire younger entrepreneurs.

He added that beyond profit-making, business leaders must embrace social responsibility, revealing that he has supported individuals through scholarships, start-up funding, and community development initiatives.

“Success in business should go hand-in-hand with community development. That is the legacy I want to leave behind,” he stressed.

Abdullahi further urged young Nigerians not to lose hope, insisting that with the right policies and support systems, the country could witness a new wave of entrepreneurship capable of transforming its economy.