The autonomy of the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN}should be strengthened to enable it effectively and efficiently perform its core mandate and ensure a meaningful development of the economy.

Nigeria's $1 billion sovereign-wealth fund is set to start operating in the next few months, said the country's Finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in what would mark a crucial step to help the government finance the revamping of its ramshackle roads and power grids.

About 22 Japanese firms arrived Nigeria last week for exploratory talks towards possible investment in the country. BusinessWorld Intelligence can disclose that the visit will boost Nigeria's quest to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Mining is such a key sector in the African economy that more than half its countries export some major mineral commodity, and for 13 of those countries, mineral exports account for at least half of export revenues.

The federal government has kicked off an industrial revolution that will strategically position and empower the nation's manufacturing sector as the key driver of economic growth through job creation and increased contribution to Gross Domestic Product.

Business in the nation's capital, Abuja, is at its lowest ebb as residents and workers in, and visitors to the city, have been engulfed by morbid fear of threats by the Boko Haram sect. BusinessWorld investigations reveal that occupancy rate of the big hotels in the city has declined drastically as guests dread going close to them, while some staff of ministries, departments and agencies now avoid their offices like a plague.

Activities are in high gear for the Cash-less Lagos Fair being organized by BusinessWorld Newspaper in close collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).The CBN-driven Cash-less Policy which has been the talk of the country in the last several months is aimed at reducing the level of cash transactions in the economy and encouraging the migration towards alternative electronic payment methods.

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has disclosed that Nigeria contributes about 700,000 deaths out of the 1.5 million people killed on road accidents all over the world annually.