Lagos — Asset & Resource Management Company Limited (ARM), a subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has called on Nigerians to tap the good opportunities available in venture capital business in Nigeria.

At a dinner presentation titled, "The Serious Game of Venture Capital," focusing on venture capital opportunities in Nigeria and West Africa, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of ARM Mr. Deji Alli, stressed on the need for publicprivate partnership in building and rehabilitating infrastructure as the first imperative for economic growth and development in Nigeria.

He asserted that private sectorled infrastructure development in Nigeria is the most viable way of solving the problem of decaying public infrastructure predicated on two years of research and involvement with infrastructure planning and business modelling by ARM and its consortium of partners.

He recalled that a landmark in this process was the recent public presentation of the Lagos Infrastructure Project.

"The first phase of the project will involve the expansion of the LekkiEpe Expressway, the construction of a coastal highway along the Lekki corridor, and the OpebiMende Bridge, which will join the 3rd Mainland Bridge. The cost of this first phase is estimated at $350 million and construction is expected to commence by the end of second quarter of 2005. The project will be funded solely by private funds," he said.

Alli added that "we wanted to present a new vision and offer new ideas to our clients and leaders in the community. It was also the perfect opportunity to present the "new" ARM to the public. The "new" ARM will be one that is forward thinking and develops innovative projects and ideas that deliver superior returns to investors, but ultimately serve the needs of the community."

During the occasion, Mr. Kofi Bucknor a renowned venture capital expert in West Africa said that Nigeria must lead the way in exploring the potential of venture capital in West Africa.

Bucknor emphasised that venture capital can play a key role in investment diversification which can unlock wealth and opportunities.

Venture capital, he said, can only be successful in an environment that recognizes and encourages entrepreneurs as the catalyst for economic growth.

Bucknor is a managing partner at Kingdom Zephyr Africa Management Company, which currently manages over $100 million committed to investing in Africa.

The occasion also witnessed the unveiling of the company's newly reengineered brand by Mr. Fola Adeola, ARM's Chairman.

With ARM's new brand proposition "Realising Ambitions" Adeola said that the firm will push traditional boundaries and explore opportunities that abound in Nigeria and beyond in order to realise clients' expectations and goals.

The elaborate unveiling included a brand video and a lifesize version of the firm's new logo.

Asset & Resource Management Company Ltd, founded in 1994, is an asset management firm offering services in financial advisory, institutional asset management, private wealth management, and trust & estate planning. ARM is a subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.