PEBEC says 16 MDAs achieved full business reform compliance in midterm assessment

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has announced that 16 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) achieved full implementation of key business reforms in its 2026 midterm assessment, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Pension Commission (PenCom) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) emerging as the top-performing institutions.

 

Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, Director-General of PEBEC, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja saying the assessment reflects significant progress in the Federal Government’s drive to improve the ease of doing business and create a more competitive investment climate.

 

According to her, the midterm review followed the unveiling of the 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Report by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the council, and focused on helping agencies address gaps identified in that report rather than merely ranking them.

 

She explained that PEBEC’s approach is centred on providing technical support to agencies to improve service delivery, transparency and efficiency.

 

“We are not a name-and-shame council. Our responsibility is to identify challenges, work with agencies to close those gaps and ensure businesses experience better service delivery,” she said.

 

Audu said PEBEC recently concluded its 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Accelerator Programme, during which it worked closely with embedded “reform champions” across the 69 MDAs under its supervision to institutionalise reforms and strengthen compliance with the Business Facilitation Act.

 

She revealed that the council can now confidently report that 98 per cent of the 69 business-facing MDAs are responsive to enquiries from businesses and investors, noting that most agencies now answer phone calls, respond to emails promptly and adhere to prescribed service delivery timelines.

 

“One year ago, some of the most basic expectations, such as getting a response from an agency after calling or sending an email, were not guaranteed. Today, those foundational issues have largely been addressed,” she said.

 

Highlighting the top performers, Audu said the Nigeria Customs Service not only met all compliance requirements but also went further by reducing regulatory procedures, shortening processing timelines and simplifying import and export processes.

 

She said the Nigerian Ports Authority similarly exceeded expectations by streamlining procedures for port users, while NITDA and PenCom earned recognition for simplifying certification and regulatory processes to improve customer experience.

 

According to her, the four agencies distinguished themselves by going beyond compliance to introduce additional reforms that reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks for businesses.

 

Beyond the leading agencies, Audu said another 12 MDAs also achieved full compliance with the assessment metrics, demonstrating commitment by both their leadership and staff to improving public service delivery.

 

She stressed that PEBEC’s objective extends beyond improving rankings to changing the culture of public service.

 

“For us, it is not about the ranking. It is about the experience businesses have when they interact with government institutions. When an investor has a poor experience with one agency, they simply conclude that Nigeria is not working. That is why every regulator must be intentional about delivering quality service,” she said.

 

The PEBEC boss disclosed that the council would continue its “mystery shopping” initiative introduced in 2025, under which officials anonymously interact with agencies as ordinary users to independently verify compliance with service standards.

 

She added that the findings would form part of the 2026 Business Facilitation Act Compliance Report expected to be unveiled by the Vice President in November.

 

Audu identified fragmented digital systems as one of the major challenges still confronting businesses, noting that many agencies have digitised their operations independently, forcing businesses to repeatedly submit the same information to multiple regulators.

 

She said PEBEC is now working with relevant government institutions to develop an integrated digital platform that would enable agencies to share information securely and eliminate duplication.

Read also: PEBEC pushes digital reforms, accountability across states

“Our next focus is integration. Businesses should not have to submit the same information repeatedly to different agencies. We want government systems to communicate with one another and provide a seamless experience,” she said.

 

She also disclosed that the council is working with states through its sub-national ease of doing business programme to encourage them to align their tax systems with the Federal Government’s recently enacted tax reforms.

 

Describing the tax reforms as one of the Tinubu administration’s most significant policy achievements, Audu said they have simplified taxation, eliminated multiple levies and made Nigeria’s tax regime more business-friendly.

 

On concerns over insecurity and its impact on investment, she argued that while security challenges remain, public perception often exaggerates the situation.

 

She maintained that many states continue to experience relative peace and economic activity, urging the media to present balanced reports that distinguish isolated incidents from broader realities.

 

Addressing concerns over businesses shutting down, Audu said reforms such as foreign exchange market liberalisation have improved predictability for investors by reducing exchange rate volatility and enabling businesses to plan more effectively.

 

She cited PEBEC’s intervention in the proposed Financial Reporting Council levy regime as an example of the council’s commitment to protecting businesses from excessive regulatory burdens.

 

According to her, the council facilitated stakeholder engagements that led to the suspension of the proposed levies and intends to push for amendments to aspects of the Financial Reporting Council Act that could impose unnecessary burdens on businesses.

 

“The Financial Reporting Council, which came up abruptly with some new levies that they wanted to charge the businesses, PEBEC intervened, and swiftly we were able to truncate that, we were able to hold several stakeholder engagements, assess the whole situation, and it was suspended,” she said.

 

Looking ahead, Audu said PEBEC plans to establish industrial and export support hubs under its EnableHer programme to prepare Nigerian businesses, particularly women-led enterprises, to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

 

She said the initiative would provide businesses with access to finance, regulatory guidance, quality certification, modern infrastructure and export readiness support, with the North-East emerging as a likely location for the pilot phase.

 

Audu expressed optimism that sustained reforms, stronger digital integration and healthy competition among federal agencies and state governments would continue to improve Nigeria’s business environment and strengthen investor confidence.