The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has unveiled plans to integrate digital platforms across federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as part of a new reform drive aimed at eliminating regulatory duplication, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and creating a seamless business environment for investors.
Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha Audu, disclosed the initiative while briefing journalists in Abuja, revealing that 98 per cent of the 69 federal MDAs monitored by the council now meet prescribed service responsiveness standards following a targeted reform programme to enforce compliance with the Business Facilitation Act.
She said the next phase of reforms would focus on connecting government institutions through interoperable digital systems, enabling secure information sharing and faster delivery of public services.
According to Audu, although many government agencies have digitised their operations, businesses continue to experience delays because they are repeatedly required to submit identical information to multiple regulators.
Using the National Identification Number (NIN) as an example, she said agencies should no longer request 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 initiative forms part of PEBEC’s broader mandate to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles, simplify regulatory procedures and position Nigeria as a more attractive investment destination.
She emphasised that the council adopts a collaborative rather than punitive approach in driving reforms across government institutions.
“PEBEC is not a name-and-shame organisation. We identify gaps and provide technical support to help agencies improve their services,” she stated.
The Director-General disclosed that the council recently concluded a 90-day Business Environment Enhancement Accelerator Programme, during which reform champions embedded across 69 MDAs worked closely with PEBEC to strengthen compliance with the Business Facilitation Act.
She said the programme yielded significant results, with 98 per cent of participating agencies meeting stipulated service delivery timelines and responding promptly to enquiries from businesses and members of the public.
Building on those gains, Audu noted that the council is shifting its focus from regulatory compliance to competitiveness, with the objective of making Nigeria a more business-friendly destination than neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Benin Republic and Kenya before benchmarking against leading global economies.
As part of efforts to reduce the cost and time of doing business, she said PEBEC reviewed licensing procedures and documentation requirements across several agencies to eliminate obsolete, repetitive and unnecessary processes.
Audu also identified agencies that recorded exceptional performance during the assessment, commending the Nigeria Customs Service for achieving full compliance with reform requirements while significantly improving cargo clearance timelines and simplifying import and export procedures.
She said the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Information Technology Development Agency and the National Pension Commission also exceeded compliance expectations by introducing additional customer-focused reforms beyond the minimum standards prescribed by the council.
The PEBEC boss clarified that the assessment was not designed as a ranking exercise but as a mechanism for institutionalising reforms capable of improving the experience of businesses interacting with government agencies.
She warned that inefficiency within a single public institution could damage Nigeria’s overall investment reputation.
“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 momentum, Audu announced that PEBEC would continue its quarterly mystery-shopping exercise, under which officials anonymously access government services to independently evaluate service quality from the perspective of ordinary users.
She added that the council has also deployed live performance trackers that allow both government agencies and the public to monitor compliance levels in real time and identify areas requiring improvement.
According to her, the 2026 Business Facilitation Act Compliance Report will be released in November after the completion of the annual assessment.
Audu said PEBEC’s long-term vision is to entrench a public service culture founded on transparency, efficiency and accountability while delivering a fully integrated digital government that makes regulatory compliance faster, simpler and more predictable for businesses and investors.
