The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked Nigeria 115 out of 140 countries in its 2018 Global Competitiveness Index.
The report was made available to NAN in Abuja by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday.
According to the report, Nigeria has moved 10 places upward from its 2017/2018 ranking of 125 out of 137 countries.
The report said that Nigeria’s ranking improved in four of 12 ranking pillars, namely infrastructure, health, business dynamism and innovation capability.
“The current global competiveness index ranking template has the following 12 as pillars for assessment.
They are institutions, ICT adoption, macro-economic environment, skill and product market.
Others are labour market, financial system, market size, business dynamism and innovation capability.
The report added that the country would require improvement in the areas of institutions, ICT adoption, macro-economic environment, skill, market size among others.
READ: Blessing Nwagba accuses PDP of gender discrimination
The global competitiveness index provides a compass for policy makers and other stakeholders to help shape economic strategies and monitor progress.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Sunday James, says the Federal Government’s “Ease of Doing Business Economic and Trade Policy” is attracting high net worth investments.
This, James said, was through liberalised Visa on Arrival (VoA), seamless and easy traveling through the airports and other entry ports.
He said the presidential enabling business environment council was tirelessly driving the machineries and manpower to make Nigeria a preferred destination.
James noted that the Comptroller-General of NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, recently directed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the service to expand its operational capacity.
This, he said, was to ensure that the VoA facility accommodated more genuine business entities and investors into the country.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
