By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have upheld their positions at the forefront of efficiency and transparency within the Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria.
According to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in its 2023 Business Facilitation Performance Results, NCDMB and SON secured the top two spots in efficiency and transparency rankings among MDAs.
PEBEC, established in 2016 to enhance Nigeria’s business environment, aims to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and enhance the ease of doing business perception.
The latest performance results covering January to December 2023 revealed commendable performances from NCDMB (70.07%), SON (69.5%), Corporate Affairs Commission (65.1%), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (65.04%), and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (63.51%).
However, PEBEC highlighted the need for improvement, as only 10 out of 39 MDAs scored above 50% during the 2023 review period.
“Strategic measures are necessary to enhance sector-specific metrics,” stated PEBEC, emphasizing the urgency for MDAs to bolster efficiency and transparency ratings before the end of the 2024 reporting period.
PEBEC recommended the establishment of BFA Implementation Reform Committees within MDAs to accelerate transparency and accountability initiatives, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda.
The council urged MDAs to leverage empirical data and past reports to drive essential improvements in efficiency and transparency.
PEBEC commended high-performing MDAs for diligently adhering to Service Level Agreements, emphasizing the need for significant improvements in key BFA compliance metrics.
Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC and Investment, noted that EO1 performance scores are based on efficiency and transparency measures, with a 70 to 30% ratio.
Efficiency measures include compliance with service delivery timelines and directives, while transparency is assessed based on website updates, online service portals, detailed service information, timelines, costs, statutory requirements, and customer service contact details.
