The Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has highlighted several Federal Government reforms aimed at supporting small businesses and improving the ease of doing business across Nigeria, as the council commenced its subnational engagement tour in Plateau State.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement and town hall meeting with the organised private sector in Jos, the state capital, PEBEC DG, Zahrah Audi, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has introduced policies designed to reduce the burden on small businesses while encouraging economic growth and formalisation.
According to the DG, one of the major interventions is the President’s tax reform policy which exempts low-income earners and smaller businesses from heavy taxation.
“For starters, President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform policy is actually very encouraging for smaller businesses. If you earn less than three million naira, you do not pay taxes,” the DG said.
She added that the reforms were deliberately structured to ensure that small businesses are protected while larger and more established companies bear more of the tax burden.
“Like Mr President says, there is no gain in taxing poverty. So, he is encouraging smaller businesses by giving them tax breaks while placing much of the tax burden on larger businesses,” she stated.
The PEBEC boss also disclosed that the Federal Government, through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has expanded support for nano and small businesses through grants and empowerment initiatives.
She further revealed that free company registration had been provided for nano businesses over the past two years as part of efforts to formalise businesses and improve trust in commercial transactions.
“Having a registered business name gives customers more confidence and helps businesses grow gradually,” she said.
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The engagement in Plateau State featured a technical session with the Subnational Ease of Doing Business Council and a town hall meeting involving business operators and government officials.
The DG explained that the visit was aimed at strengthening state-level implementation of business-friendly reforms already being pursued at the federal level.
“Plateau is the first state we have visited, but we are going to all 36 states, just like we did during the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business Tour. The town hall meeting would provide an opportunity for businesses in Plateau State to present their challenges directly to policymakers, with the goal of reviewing and improving policies affecting the business environment,” she added.
Speaking, on behalf of the Plateau State Government was the State Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, who commended the Federal Government for selecting Plateau as the first state for the engagement.
She said the state government remained committed to building a stronger economy and creating an enabling environment for investors.
Ramnap noted that Plateau State had made significant progress in ease of doing business rankings, moving to sixth position after previously not being ranked.
“We are making remarkable progress in ensuring it becomes easier to do business in the state, we identified agriculture, tourism, culture, and mining as key sectors the state government is prioritising to attract investment and drive economic growth,” he said.
Ramnap added that the state would continue reviewing its policies and engage stakeholders to strengthen investor confidence and improve the business climate.
