The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has said it is intensifying reforms across federal and state institutions to make Nigeria more competitive for business, attract investment and improve public service delivery.
The Director-General of PEBEC, Mrs Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, disclosed this during a media briefing on the Council’s 2026 Mid-Term Assessment.
She said PEBEC’s focus had shifted from identifying challenges to implementing lasting institutional reforms that improve the experience of businesses and investors.
According to her, 98 per cent of the 69 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) monitored by the Council now respond promptly to enquiries and meet prescribed service delivery timelines following the implementation of the Business Environment Enhancement Accelerator Programme.
“Between 2025 and 2026, we can boastfully state that 98 per cent of the 69 MDAs that we track are very responsive.
“If you call them, you will get a timely response. If you send an email, they will respond,” the PEBEC boss stated.
Mrs Mustapha-Audu said the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Ports Authority, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) distinguished themselves during the assessment by achieving full compliance while simplifying procedures and reducing processing timelines for businesses.
She noted that PEBEC was focused on driving measurable improvements in public service delivery rather than ranking agencies for publicity.
“PEBEC is not a name and shame Council. We’re here to fix the challenges that currently plague our business environment. It’s not about the ranking; it’s about the impact on businesses,” she stressed.
The Director-General identified fragmented digital systems across government agencies as one of the next major reform priorities, explaining that businesses still provide the same information repeatedly to different regulators.
She said PEBEC was collaborating with relevant digital agencies to establish an integrated government platform that would enable businesses to submit information once for use by multiple institutions.
“Many agencies have digitalised, but they are digitalising in silos. We’re working towards a seamless system where businesses provide information once and different agencies can access it, reducing duplication,” the PEBEC boss explained.
Mrs Mustapha-Audu also said that the successful implementation of the National Single Window for port operations provided a model for wider government integration.
On sub-national reforms, she said PEBEC had completed visits to almost all states under its Sub-national Ease of Doing Business initiative to encourage reforms, strengthen one-stop investment centres and promote digitalisation of government services.
She noted that states were also benefiting from the World Bank-supported State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme, which provides performance-based funding for business-friendly reforms.
“Governors now care what their ranking on the Sub-national Ease of Doing Business Report is, and that level of accountability is what will lead to improvement over time,” Mrs Mustapha-Audu said.
Mrs Mustapha-Audu disclosed that PEBEC had strengthened regulatory oversight through the implementation of the Regulatory Impact Analysis Framework, which requires MDAs to consult stakeholders, justify proposed regulations and assess economic costs before introducing new policies.
She cited the Council’s intervention on visa reforms and proposed Financial Reporting Council levies as examples of efforts to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.
“We always go based on facts, figures and evidence. It’s never about personalities; it’s always about making the business environment work better for investors and businesses,” she emphasised.
Acknowledging the challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises, the PEBEC boss said the Council was working with state governments, development finance institutions and business associations to improve access to finance and reduce regulatory barriers.
She noted that improving the responsiveness of government agencies was a necessary foundation for more advanced reforms targeted at small businesses.
“You can’t build a skyscraper without a foundation. We’ve spent the last year and a half fixing those basic service delivery gaps,” the PEBEC boss stated.
Mrs Mustapha-Audu also unveiled plans to establish industrial business hubs beginning in Nigeria’s North-east to prepare local businesses for opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to her, the hubs will provide access to regulators, finance, quality certification, modern equipment and business support services to improve the competitiveness of Nigerian products.
“We want to be deliberate and intentional. There is a science to success. If we put the right conditions in place, businesses will have a much greater chance of succeeding,” she stressed.
Mrs Mustapha-Audu expressed optimism that the first hub would commence operations before the end of the year and reaffirmed PEBEC’s commitment to sustaining reforms through continuous monitoring, quarterly mystery shopping exercises and stronger collaboration with federal and state governments to build a more efficient and investor-friendly business environment in Nigeria.
