TheCable

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says “aggressive accountability audit” will be implemented for federal government agencies.

Speaking on Wednesday at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the audit, according to the vice-president, will aid in eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks as part of efforts to improve the country’s business environment and economy.

“We must ensure that they are not hindered from doing business easily so they can produce the opportunities our nation needs,” he said.

“The federal government will work with the agencies to implement a more aggressive accountability audit.

“Where we identify the specific bottlenecks in systems possibly down to the particular desks where these problems arise, we may then come for agencies and officials who have failed or resisted change.’’

According to Laolu Akande, Osinbajo’s spokesperson, the vice-president also noted that despite the challenges in some areas, PEBEC’s efforts have been instrumental in improving Nigeria’s business environment in recent years.

Osinbajo said since its inception, PEBEC had achieved the delivery of over 150 reforms and completed six National Action Plan (NAP) initiatives.

“As a result, Nigeria has moved an aggregate of 39 places on the World Bank doing business index since 2016, and was twice named as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world in the last three cycles,” he said.

“Nigeria was also named one of only two African countries to make this highly prestigious list in 2019.

“Similarly, the 2018 Sub-national Doing Business report on Nigeria recorded unprecedented improvement, with 100 percent participation of states in the right-of-reply exercise.

“The World Economic Forum (WEF), in its 2018 Global Competitive Report, also recognised Nigeria’s business environment as one of the most entrepreneurial in the world, and highlighted Nigeria’s improved competitiveness in the enabling business environment.”