The Director General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zahrah Mustapha Audu, has emphasized the importance of policy continuity in government to ensure sustainable economic growth.
Speaking on PEBEC’s ongoing initiatives during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Audu stressed that successive administrations should build on existing frameworks rather than discarding them.
“We are trying to move away from the culture of every new leader coming in with completely new ideas. Government is a continuation—we should learn to appreciate what our predecessors did and build on existing ideas. For us to actually move forward as a country, there has to be a level of continuation. If we keep starting afresh, we will never truly achieve our goals. So, we have to build on existing policies, especially because a lot of policies are actually amazing,” she said.
Audu noted that while Nigeria has several well-designed policies aimed at improving the business environment, the key challenge remains implementation. She stated that PEBEC will prioritize ensuring that policies are effectively executed to deliver tangible results.
“The only problem with our policies is implementation. Another thing PEBEC is going to be pushing hard on is implementation,” she stated.
As part of its efforts to enhance the ease of doing business, Audu revealed that PEBEC will highlight top-performing states while adopting a balanced approach that acknowledges both strengths and areas for improvement.
“Yes, we will be highlighting some of the top states to do business, but we are not going to be ranking states all the way to the bottom. Instead, we will outline the pros and cons and provide recommendations for improving ease of doing business at the subnational level,” she explained.
She also reaffirmed PEBEC’s commitment to the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Program in partnership with the World Bank, describing it as a crucial initiative for economic development.
Additionally, Audu announced plans for statewide tours, during which PEBEC will engage directly with local businesses in state capitals to address challenges and gather feedback.
“We are hoping to start our statewide tours, meaning that PEBEC will be coming to state capitals near you to have town hall meetings and engage with local businesses to figure out what is going on as it relates to the ease of doing business,” she said.
PEBEC’s renewed focus on policy continuity and implementation signals a strategic shift toward long-term economic stability, aiming to foster a more business-friendly environment across Nigeria.
