NBS, NIMC, NUPRC… underperforming agencies in FG’s business facilitation compliance ranking

The presidential enabling business environment council (PEBEC) has released the 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) performance report, assessing how ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) complied with transparency and efficiency requirements under the BFA 2022.

The report reviews progress in service efficiency, transparency, monthly reporting, complaint resolution, and service-delivery innovation across MDAs between January and October 2025.

The PEBEC said the results reflect mixed institutional responsiveness.

According to the report, high-performing MDAs demonstrated improved adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), enhanced transparency, and stronger digital processes.

“Lower-performing MDAs revealed persistent gaps in responsiveness, automation, and inter-agency coordination, highlighting priority areas for targeted reforms and leadership intervention,” the council said.

“Overall, the 2025 BFA Performance Report confirms positive momentum in public-service accountability, driven by the BFA’s legal mandate and the new eight-component scorecard.”

The PEBEC noted that despite recorded progress, sustained reforms, increased automation, and improved institutional discipline will be crucial to accelerate service delivery transformation and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness.

HIGH-PERFORMING MDAS

In the report, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) secured the highest score with 90.6 percent, leading the 2025 BFA performance ranking.

The board was closely followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which posted 89.3 percent, while the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) ranked third with 86.6 percent.

Also recording strong performances were the Nigerian Communications Commission (85.3 percent), Nigerian Ports Authority (84.2 percent), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (79.9 percent). The Oil & Gas Free Zones Authority followed with 79.4 percent, alongside the Nigeria Immigration Service (76.9 percent) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (73.8 percent).

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) scored 72.3 percent, with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (71.6 percent) rounding out the upper-tier list.

AVERAGE PERFORMERS

According to the report, the mid-range performers include agencies such as the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (69.9 percent), the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (68 percent), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (65.1 percent), the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (64.8 percent), and the Bureau for Public Procurement (60.6 percent).

Other agencies on mid-range category are the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (60.1 percent), the Nigerian Shippers Council (59.9 percent), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (58.3 percent), the National Pension Commission (57.8 percent), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (56.2 percent), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (55.2 percent), Federal Road Safety Corps (53.5 percent), and NAFDAC (52.9 percent).

LOW-PERFORMING MDAS

The PEBEC said a number of agencies recorded low compliance scores, falling below the 50 percent threshold.

They include the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (48.8 percent), the EFCC-special control unit against money laundering (48.5 percent), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (48.2 percent), NEXIM Bank (46.9 percent), the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (46.5 percent), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (45.1 percent), the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (44.6 percent), NIMASA (42.4 percent), and the National Inland Waterways Authority (38.9 percent).

The Patent and Design Registry (38.9 percent), National Insurance Commission (37.3 percent), Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (37.1 percent), and Galaxy Backbone Limited (37.0 percent) also ranked low.

THE BOTTOM PLAYERS

The report said the “lesser-performing” agencies were the Industrial Training Fund (30.8 percent), the Securities and Exchange Commission (28.9 percent), the national collateral registry under the CBN (25.5 percent), the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (24.6 percent), the Bank of Industry (24.1 percent), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (22.9 percent), the trademarks registry (22.3 percent), and the ministry of interior (19.5 percent).

Listed at the bottom of the table were the Nigeria Postal Service (17.1 percent), the Nigerian Copyright Commission (16.3 percent), the Federal Produce Inspection Service (16.0 percent), the National Bureau of Statistics (14.9 percent), the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (14.5 percent), the Joint Tax Board (14.6 percent), the National Identity Management Commission (12.7 percent), the Service Compact (12.6 percent), and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, which posted the lowest score at 3.0 percent.

LOW PERFORMING REGIONS

The PEBEC also analysed business environment reforms across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In its sub-national ease of doing business report, the council said Nigeria’s business environment remains central to the country’s economic resilience and long-term growth prospects.

“With more than 39 million Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) operating across states, how each subnational is performing has never been more important,” the report said.

The report showed that the north-east is the lowest-performing region overall, largely due to deeper structural challenges.

However, it noted that a few states in the zone are beginning to show signs of improvement.

According to the PEBEC, the south-south demonstrates moderate but uneven performance, while the north-west exhibits a sharp split between a few strong states and several lagging ones.

In contrast, the south-west leads nationally, followed by north-central, and the south-east.