PEBEC unveils mobile app to aid Nigeria’s ease of doing business

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has unveiled its REPORTGOV.NG mobile and online application for public service feedback and complaints.

The platform, which is also a website, is expected to facilitate the escalation and resolution of issues encountered with ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) towards ensuring a more business-friendly environment.

The app was launched by Okechukwu Enelamah, the minister of industry, trade and investment; Adedotun Sulaiman, chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria; and Jumoke Oduwole, SSA to the president on industry, trade and investment.

This was done at the Regulatory Conversations (RC3.0) event themed “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria”, which was hosted by The Convention on Business Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry and BusinessDay Newspapers.

It was done in partnership with the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) of the Council.

The program featured a panel of discussants and stakeholders from the public, private sector and civil society, with a focus on issues bordering on transparency and efficiency of service delivery in Nigeria.

PEBEC was established in July 2016 to remove delays and restrictions that come with doing business in Nigeria, and make the country an easier place to start and grow a business.

Supported by Executive Order 001 (EO1) signed in 2017 to promote transparency and efficiency in the business environment, PEBEC has undertaken to drive EO1’s six directives, which aim to address specific limitations identified in the civil and public service systems.

According to PEBEC, a high level of success across several areas has been recorded, and MDAs have made significant improvements.

“Many have taken up the challenge to deliver more transparent and efficient services to their customers in alignment with EO1, with a number of notable milestones achieved such as an increase in the number of MDAs that have functional websites containing detailed information about their services or statutory functions, as well as improved collaboration among MDAs.

“EO1 has been acknowledged as one of the FGN’s most innovative strategic initiatives to deliver quick, pragmatic changes for Nigerians.

“It seeks to drive domestic and foreign investment that creates employment and stimulates the economy, by aspiring to overcome the lack of trust in public systems. When fully implemented, EO1 will transform the way the FGN and its MDAs serve the business community and the public at large, as it is a blueprint for fundamental government reform in Nigeria.”

The REPORTGOV.NG mobile app is available on the Google Play store, and is coming soon to the iOS store to enable users give feedback or complaint that will drive continuous improvement in service delivery and public protection efforts.

Nigeria is currently placed at 146 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business index according to the latest World Bank annual rankings.

However, as the implementation of EO1 progresses and reforms are institutionalised, the federal government aspires to place Nigeria in the top 100 and top 50 on the Index by year 2020 and 2025 respectively.

More information is available here.