Follow Us on Google
• as NCDMB, NDLEA, Customs lead federal MDAs in business facilitation act compliance
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released two pivotal 2025 reports spotlighting the state of Nigeria’s business climate—namely, the Subnational Ease of Doing Business (FoDB) Report and the Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report for Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Together, these reports deliver a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of Nigeria’s progress in fostering a more competitive, transparent, and efficient business environment at both subnational and federal levels.
The 2025 Subnational FoDB Report ranks Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on their business competitiveness across 16 key indicators including electricity access, infrastructure quality, digital connectivity, trade logistics, land administration, taxation, and justice delivery. Lagos State emerged as the uncontested leader with an 85.6% score, followed by Kaduna State scoring 65.1%. Oyo State (62.7%), the FCT (61.0%), and Ogun State (59.9%) completed the top five, with Enugu, Plateau, Ekiti, Kano, and Nasarawa rounding out the top ten.
“These top-performing states have distinguished themselves by sustaining reform momentum, refining digital processes, and nurturing more predictable regulatory environments,” Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Audu, said. Adding, “Their performance sets a benchmark for others to deepen reforms and enhance the business environment.”
Other News
The report further identified urgent priority interventions that states should adopt, such as establishing investor aftercare systems, enabling access to credit for MSMEs, harmonising interstate trade regulations, upgrading commercial justice frameworks, and reinforcing power reliability for industrial clusters. With PEBEC’s ongoing support through the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, these insights, she said are designed to guide policy decisions and attract investments that spur long-term competitiveness.
In parallel, PEBEC’s 2025 BFA Performance Report evaluates 69 federal MDAs on compliance with the Business Facilitation Act, focusing on service transparency, efficiency, and technology-driven improvements from January to October 2025. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) topped the rankings with a remarkable 90.6% score. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) followed closely at 89.3%, while the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) secured third position with 86.6%. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) also featured prominently in fourth and fifth places.
Audu emphasised: “These MDAs have demonstrated exceptional commitment to delivering predictable, technology-enhanced, and citizen-responsive services. The report offers a clear incentive for all MDAs to deepen their transformation efforts and uphold statutory obligations under the BFA.”
Audu explained that since its establishment in July 2016 by the Federal Government and under the chairmanship of Vice President Kashim Shettima, PEBEC has relentlessly pursued the elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks and legislative barriers to business growth in Nigeria.
She highlighted that these reports underline PEBEC’s dual mandate to improve not only the reality but also the perception of Nigeria as a competitive business destination.
