Thursday, December 4, 2025 - Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on state governments, federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the organized private sector, and development partners to intensify efforts toward strengthening Nigeria’s business environment, insisting that national prosperity depends on sustained collaboration across all sectors.
Speaking in Abuja at the PEBEC Gala and Awards Night, organized
by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the Vice
President said the reforms recorded this year reflect “the triumph of
collaboration over silos,” and urged stakeholders to build on the gains of
2025.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President
on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the
VP said “the end of this night does not signal the end of your pursuit of
excellence because excellence is a culture, not an event. It lives only where
it is nurtured.
“In the new year, let us do even more to advance the reform
agenda for Nigeria’s business environment.
Let us build a nation where efficiency is normal,
where transparency is routine, and where excellence is the governing creed of
public service”.
He noted that the success of the administration’s reforms,
anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, relies heavily on the
dedication of public servants, whom he praised for refusing to accept
mediocrity in the drive to improve ease of doing business.
According to Shettima, excellence is cultivated through
discipline and the refusal to settle for the minimum.
“Public service can and must be synonymous with excellence,”
he added, describing the awards night as a celebration of individuals and
institutions that have embraced the administration’s reform ethos.
The Vice President also highlighted interagency coordination
as a key driver of progress, citing the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee
(PCEC) as an example of reforms “already bearing significant fruit” through the
introduction of joint port inspection procedures designed to reduce delays and
improve efficiency.
Earlier, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of
the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, declared that PEBEC under
Shettima’s leadership has continued to deliver reforms that are “incrementally
impacting businesses across different sectors.”
He, however, cautioned that the work ahead remains
substantial, adding that every milestone achieved forms the basis for even
deeper reforms.
Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Audu, outlined
the agency’s achievements over the past year, attributing the successes to
strengthened partnerships with MDAs and state governments.
She said PEBEC’s reform drive has been deliberately
structured into its service delivery framework, ensuring that collaboration
remains central to progress.
The event also featured the unveiling of the 2025 Business
Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Report and the Subnational Ease of Doing
Business Report.
Awards were presented in several categories, including
Access to Justice, Legislative Trailblazer, Leadership of Action, and Business
Advocacy and Partnership.
The ceremony drew top government officials and industry
leaders, including the Deputy Governors of Benue and Enugu States, Dr Sam Ode
and Mr Ifeanyi Ossai; Chairman of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.);
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida; Executive Secretary of the
Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr Pius Akutah; and Managing Director of the
Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho.
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