The 1st Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, has received a Merit Award from the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in recognition of his contributions to the commerce and industry sector.
The award was presented at CICAN’s 20th anniversary celebration, marking two decades of the association’s commitment to professional business journalism, economic reporting and national development.
Prof. Adesugba, a seasoned journalist and founder of Chamber Telegraph, was also the keynote speaker at the anniversary event, where he called for sustained policy consistency, stronger economic coordination and increased investment in productive sectors to support Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
He identified policy continuity beyond the 2027 general elections as critical to achieving the target, warning that “the single greatest risk to the trillion dollar ambition is policy reversal.”
The ACCI 1st Deputy President also identified reliable electricity supply as a major priority for economic transformation, describing power as the master reform. He called for stronger fiscal and monetary policy coordination, fair implementation of the new Tax Acts, greater participation by state governments and improved national economic data through a strengthened National Bureau of Statistics.
Addressing the organised private sector, Prof. Adesugba urged businesses to move beyond complaints and adopt evidence-based advocacy to influence policy decisions. He also called on financial institutions to expand long-term credit to manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure, particularly as interest rates ease.
On the role of the media in national economic development, he outlined seven key responsibilities for journalists: explaining economic issues, verifying information, tracking policies, investigating developments, providing balanced reporting, reporting markets responsibly and amplifying the activities of the real economy.
He commended CICAN for its years of dedication to commerce and industry reporting, urging members to sustain their professionalism and continue providing credible, insightful and development-oriented coverage of Nigeria’s business environment.
The Chairman of CICAN, Mr Gabriel Kuma, expressed the Association’s appreciation to Prof. Adesugba for his fatherly role, continued support and commitment to identifying with the Association. He noted that having a role model of Prof. Adesugba’s calibre would inspire members and strengthen the Association’s growth, unity and professional development.
The Merit Award further highlights Prof. Adesugba’s engagement with the commerce and industry community and his contributions to business journalism and economic policy discourse.
