By Lateef Adegbite
Barely one year `after former President Muhammadu Buhari left office, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, set up by his Administration ostensibly’’ to remove the bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria, and make the most populous country in the West African sub-region a progressively easier place to start and grow business’’, some nine years ago is still waxing strong in the implementation of its mandate.
The council which is an inter-governmental and inter-ministerial agency currently has Vice President Kashim Shettima, who incidentally was a former governor of the north eastern state Borno, as Chairman and an additional , 10 serving ministers of the present President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration , George Akume, a former governor of Benue state and now Secretary to the Government of Federation , Olayemi Michal Cardoso, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , Representatives of Lagos and Kano states and the National Assembly as members, appear to be alive to their duties.
In setting up the PEBEC, the former Katsina state born Nigerian President may have had at the back of his mind that that it would serve as the operational arm of the council by assisting the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, ‘’to implement its reform of agenda.
As a prelude to keeping to the PEBEC, reform agenda, Vice President Shettima, on Friday, June 29, 2024, at the presentation of award to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, under close watch of Dayo Mobereola, as the best agency of government in terms of exemplary teamwork, quality service delivery and consistency, as well as other agencies which were also bestowed with one award or the other was said to have urged the stakeholders ‘’to build a business environment that fosters innovation, creativity and productivity ‘’.
The Nigerian Vice President who could not hide his feelings was said to have implored the Jumoke Oduwole led council and the Leadership of the MDAs ‘’to prioritise the dreams of all Nigerians who aspire to grow their businesses’’.
The former Borno state governor who was said to have made the stakeholders at the PEBEC, award presentation event at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to understand that ‘’success is not merely a matter of policy’’ but is measured by its impact , from the small-time trader to the large corporation in Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve centre and other major cities across the country’’ insisting that they must align with the 8-point agenda of the Tinubu’s Administration.
He was said to have made it clear to the stakeholders that’’ no matter the depth of reforms that may be introduced by the Mrs. Oduwole led PEBEC, the government will not fail on its part to achieve its goals unless the MDAs fail to perform their own function which must be at its best to seamlessly work with the agenda of the present Tinubu’s government.
Recall that former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and immediate past Chairman of PEBEC, had confirmed that as at 2016, the council had achieved the delivery of over 180 reforms and completed seven National Action Plans geared towards improving the country’s business environment. Stanley Nkwocha, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications had said that the council had completed the 90-day Regulatory Reform Accelerator Action plan Action plan as against the initial 120-day plan .
In presenting the 2024 award to NIMASA, during the PEBEC,Town Hall Meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mrs.Oduwole, who incidentally is the Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC, had said that ‘’33 operational activities of the Marine and Blue Economy agency were subjected to thorough scrutiny alongside those of 36 other agencies including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation , NNPC, now baptized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, by the National Assembly which had been signed into Law by former President Buhari in August, 2021.
The Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC, may have gladdened the heart of Mobereola, Director General, NIMASA and his Management team, when she repeatedly commended the agency for emerging as the best performing Nigerian government agency in terms of exemplary team-work, quality service delivery and consistency.
Given that the ministry of Marine and Blue economy was also announced as the best performing ministry in the present Tinubu’s Administration may have informed why the Leadership of PEBEC, had commended Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state, and now overseeing the newly created ministry over his commitment ‘’to ensuring that all the agencies under the ministry improve their service delivery in a consistent manner’’.
In apparent reaction to the maritime regulatory agency, clinching the 2024, PEBEC, best government agency in terms of exemplary team-work, quality service delivery and consistency, Mobereola, the NIMASA helmsman, was said to have’’ dedicated the award to all members of staff of the agency’’ just as he had acknowledged the support of the superintending minister ‘’ in providing the right framework for the agency to create the enabling environment for local and foreign investors in the country’s maritime space’’.
The NIMASA boss, noted that award from PEBEC, is by extension given by the Presidency which is a call’’ for the Managemen;t and Staff of the agency to double their efforts to serve more’’. The NIMASA ,Chief, who had appreciated the minister of Marine and Blue economy for his good job in the new ministry had said that not only did he convene a meeting between NIMASA and PEBEC officials at the council Secretariat but constantly ‘’ kept the Management and Staff of the agency on their toes to ensure better service delivery to stakeholders ‘’.
