Thursday, 26 July 2012

Richard Branson speaks out on his business experience in Nigeria

The chairman of Virgin Atlantic alluded to a number of issues bordering on doing business in Nigeria:
"...we have virgin's ill-fated footsteps by setting up a new airline in Africa in conjunction with Nigerian government...


The details of the doomed attempts to crack the Nigerian market in the 2000s is better imagined...we put ...together a very good airline-the first airline in West Africa that was ever IOSA/IATA operational safety audit accredited but unfortunately it got tied down to the politics of the country...

We led the airlines for 11years...we fought daily battle against government agents who wanted to daily make fortune from us, politicians who saw the government 49% as a meal to seek for all kinds of favour...watchdogs(regulatory body) that didn't know what to do and persistently asking for bribes at any point...

Nigeria people are generally nice but the politicians are very insane...that may be irony because the people make up the politicians...but those politicians are selfish...we did make N3billion for the federal government of Nigeria during the joint venture...realising that the government didn't bring nothing to the table/partnership except dubious debts by the previous carrier, Nigeria Airways...

The joint venture should have been the biggest African carrier by now if the partnership was allowed to grow, but the politicians KILLED it...Nigeria is a country we SHALL NEVER consider to doing business again..''

 Extracted from Nairaland.

7 comments:

Bidemi said...

Branson’s experience is not farfetched from what is going on till today, if it has not gotten worse

Mike said...

Yet they speak of how they can get international investors to come and invest, without tackling d primary goals corruption, insecurity and infrastructure

Tamtam said...

No wonder he left Nigeria

Anonymous said...

Let even forget d infrastructure focus on corruption and security, if all d foreigners won’t be d one to spend money on infrastructure bc they recognize potential and money when they see it

Anonymous said...

I have always said it those in d govt, there will be change if they themselves dont change

Anonymous said...

I agree rechauffle d legislature members and NLC members if these are effectively taken care off others arms will sit up

Anonymous said...

oooooooooh white man run for good,he has seen no way forward for ds nation