Oxford Business Group (OBG) has expanded its operations in Nigeria as it prepares to publish its second report on the country’s economic activity and investment opportunities.

The global publishing, research and consultancy firm has bolstered its resources with the opening of an additional office in Abuja, which will operate alongside the Group’s Lagos site as the teams begin the groundwork for The Report: Nigeria 2011.

The move follows the successful launch in March of OBG’s first report on Nigeria’s economic development which was widely viewed among the international business community as breaking new ground for its high level of detailed and analytical business intelligence.
Claudia Muro, OBG’s Country Director in Lagos, will lead operations there, while Editorial Manager Tyler Cicirello will oversee all aspects of the editorial and research work undertaken in the city. Their move to Nigeria follows successful stints with OBG in Africa and beyond where were involved in producing the Group’s most recent reports on economic activity in the region.

OBG’s operations in Abuja will be spearheaded by Arim Topete, whose achievements include a key contribution made on the Group’s Abu Dhabi project. Responsibility for the editorial and research work in Abuja is in the hands of Khalil Hibri who joins Topete from OBG’s operations in Algeria.

Muro said she was delighted to be playing a pivotal role with OBG at what is a significant juncture in both Nigeria’s economic expansion and the Group’s operations in the country.

“Nigeria is driving its economic transformation forward, as can be seen by the high number of major infrastructure projects under way and the ambitious expansion taking place in the non-oil sectors,” she said.

“I am delighted to be based here during this exciting phase in the country’s development which coincides with OBG’s own expansion as we boost our resources in Nigeria for our forthcoming report.”

Topete added that the opening of OBG’s Abuja office would prove invaluable to the Group’s operations as the team prepares to document Nigeria’s heightened economic activity.

“Nigeria’s economic expansion is attracting growing interest from international investors as the country takes steps forward in enhancing its business environment,” he said. “I am confident that our new team will build on the outstanding work undertaken for our first publication and ensure that The Report: Nigeria 2011 raises the bar even higher with its comprehensive coverage of the economic development taking place here.”

Karine Loehman, OBG’s Regional Director in Africa, said that the Group’s new team members brought with them a combination of expertise and understanding of the workings of emerging economies which would equip them well for their new challenge.

“Nigeria’s reforms and economic expansion are taking place against the backdrop of the country’s still-dominant hydrocarbons industry which has provided healthy revenues to drive growth,” she said. “As our new team begins its information-gathering process for the Group’s second year in Nigeria, I am confident that our forthcoming report will offer detailed and accurate coverage of the exciting investment opportunities that the country’s development is producing.”