Vice President Kashim Shettima says some of the strategies being deployed by the administration of President Bola Tinubu are fast improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
He says that through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as well as the bold structural and fiscal reforms, the Nigerian government has replaced gatekeeping with partnership that has enabled the sub-nationals to unlock their economic potential.
VP Shettima, who stated this on Wednesday when he declared open the Jigawa State Investment Summit 2026 in Dutse, the state capital, noted that across the federation, the President Tinubu-led government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to put the economy back on a path of sustainable growth.
“On our part, we have made it easier to do business in Nigeria. Through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, we have simplified registrations and permits and brought the cost and time of starting and running a business steadily down.
“The Business Facilitation Act has given these reforms the force of law, binding our agencies to transparency, predictability and speed.
“We have also unified and liberalised the foreign-exchange market, ended distortions that for too long frightened away serious investors, and put public finances on a more honest footing,” he said.
The Vice President observed that even though it had been a journey for which patience is required, the outcomes indicate that it is paying off, as the currency markets are now functioning more transparently and reserves are now firmer.
He said for the first time in over ten years, the world’s leading rating agencies have started raising Nigeria’s sovereign credit standing, while the reforms at the centre are helping the states to unlock and deploy resources prudently.
Explaining how the administration’s reforms have opened the strategic sectors of the economy to private capital, VP Shettima cited the Electricity Act 2023, which he said “stands as a consequential reform, devolving real power to the states to license, generate and distribute electricity and inviting investors to build the power infrastructure our industries and homes so urgently need.”
“From power to agriculture, from solid minerals to the digital economy, we have replaced gatekeeping with partnership. And we have redirected the savings from hard reform toward the things that build a nation: into infrastructure, into human capital, and into support for our most vulnerable citizens, so that growth, when it comes, is felt in the household and not only in the headline,” he stated.
The Vice President acknowledged, however, that reform at the centre would make little or no impact if it did not reach the states, noting that it is the reason why the Federal Government, through the National Economic Council and the Federal Executive Council, has prioritised healthy debates and deliberations to harmonise ideas for the nation’s economic direction.
While wooing both local and foreign investors, the VP reminded them “that the Nigerian Government has done the hard work of reform, and that, in partnership with the Jigawa State Government”, the Tinubu administration is convinced that the promise of Jigawa State “is one of high yields.
“We will be here to offer support and to ensure that you experience no bureaucratic bottlenecks in setting up here and enjoying the dividends of courage,” he assured.
Opportunities
The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, explained that the summit was designed as a working platform to move the state beyond aspiration to disciplined execution, creating viable and valuable opportunities for investors.
Namadi reaffirmed confidence in Jigawa’s capacity to achieve sustainable prosperity through vision, credible investment and purposeful partnership.
He said Jigawa has over 24,700 square meters of fertile arable land, including more than 411,000 hectares of fadama suitable for year-round farming, with water and irrigation assets; a welcoming business climate; a capable and hard-working population; as well as access to markets across northern Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic along the ancient Trans-Saharan corridor.
“Our development direction is anchored on the Jigawa vision and our 12 Points Agenda with priorities that include Agricultural transformation, infrastructure, energy, the digital economy, private sector growth, revenue expansion, security, social protection, health, education and vocational skills development,” the governor said.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said Jigawa occupies a unique and strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, adding that the state is naturally endowed with natural resources, particularly within the livestock sector, with an estimated population of 3.6 million cattle, 5.6 million sheep, 6.6 million goats and others.
He said the Jigawa State livestock value chain is both expansive and lucrative.
The minister urged local and international investors to look closely at the Jigawa State livestock sector, noting that the resources are abundant, the political will is resolute and the market is ready.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the theme of the summit as timely and inspiring, adding that it reflects a bold vision for economic transformation and the commitment to harnessing the vast opportunities in the state for the benefits of its people and future generations.
The minister commended the remarkable stride of the Jigawa governor, adding that his administration has demonstrated a clear commitment to people’s centred development.
Chairman of the summit and Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, said because Jigawa is strategically located in the heart of Northern Nigeria, it serves as a gateway between the North West and the North East Nigeria.
