Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, Zahrah Mustapha Audu, has unveiled plans to integrate digital platforms across federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to eliminate duplication, reduce regulatory bottlenecks and create a seamless experience for businesses, following significant gains in public sector service delivery reforms.
Audu disclosed that 98 per cent of the 69 MDAs monitored by the council now meet prescribed responsiveness standards after a targeted reform programme designed to improve compliance with the Business Facilitation Act.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, she said PEBEC’s next phase of reforms would focus on ensuring government agencies no longer operate in isolation but are digitally connected to enable secure information sharing and faster service delivery.
According to her, while many agencies have digitised their operations, businesses still face unnecessary delays because they are repeatedly required to submit the same information to different regulators.
She cited the National Identification Number (NIN) as an example, noting that agencies should no longer demand documents containing information already available on government databases.
“Our objective is to create an environment where businesses provide information once, and relevant government agencies can securely access it instead of making investors repeat the same process multiple times,” she said.
Audu explained that the reforms are part of PEBEC’s broader mandate to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles, simplify regulatory processes and position Nigeria as a preferred investment destination.
Rather than adopting a confrontational approach, she said the council works collaboratively with government institutions to resolve operational challenges.
“PEBEC is not a name-and-shame organisation. We identify gaps and provide technical support to help agencies improve their services,” she said.
She revealed that the council recently concluded a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Accelerator Programme, during which reform champions embedded across 69 MDAs worked with PEBEC to strengthen compliance with the Business Facilitation Act.
The initiative, she said, resulted in 98 per cent of the agencies meeting service delivery timelines and responding promptly to enquiries from businesses and members of the public.
Audu noted that the council is now shifting attention from basic compliance to competitiveness, with the goal of making Nigeria a more business-friendly destination than neighbouring economies such as Ghana, Benin Republic and Kenya before benchmarking against leading global performers.
As part of efforts to simplify business regulation, she said PEBEC reviewed licensing procedures and documentation requirements across several agencies to eliminate obsolete and repetitive processes that increase the cost and time of doing business.
She also identified top-performing agencies during the council’s assessment, commending the Nigeria Customs Service for fully complying with reform requirements while reducing cargo clearance timelines and simplifying import and export procedures.
Other agencies recognised for exceeding compliance expectations include the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Information Technology Development Agency and the National Pension Commission, all of which introduced additional customer-focused reforms beyond the minimum standards.
Audu stressed that the assessment was not intended to rank agencies but to institutionalise reforms capable of improving the experience of businesses dealing with government institutions.
She warned that inefficiency in a single government office can undermine investor confidence in the entire country.
“If someone has a bad experience with one government agency, they do not separate that agency from the government. They simply conclude that Nigeria is not working,” she said.
To sustain the reforms, Audu disclosed that PEBEC will continue its quarterly mystery-shopping exercise, under which officials anonymously access government services to independently assess service quality from the perspective of ordinary users.
She added that the council also operates live performance trackers that allow agencies and the public to monitor compliance levels and identify areas requiring improvement.
According to her, the 2026 Business Facilitation Act Compliance Report is expected to be released in November after the completion of the annual assessment.
She said PEBEC’s long-term goal is to entrench a public service culture built on transparency, efficiency and accountability while creating a fully integrated digital government that makes regulatory compliance faster, easier and more predictable for businesses and investors.
