FG, Enugu join forces to accelerate business reforms, attract investment

From Jude Chinedu, Enugu

The Federal Government, through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), and the Enugu State Government have reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating business reforms and attracting investment to drive economic growth in the state.

The commitment was made during the 2026 PEBEC Nationwide Town Hall and Stakeholders’ Engagement on Ease of Doing Business held at Hotel Presidential, Enugu, on Thursday.

The event, organised by the Enugu State Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry with support from the Enugu State Investment Development Authority (ESIDA), brought together investors, business associations, development partners, government agencies and members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to assess ongoing reforms and identify measures for strengthening the state’s investment climate.

Speaking at the event, the leader of the PEBEC delegation, Gabriel Ohiemi, said the engagement underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to working with states to improve the ease of doing business and address challenges faced by investors.

He explained that participants were provided questionnaires covering issues such as regulations, taxation, levies and government services to evaluate the business environment and highlight areas requiring attention.

“We are here in Enugu for our PEBEC sub-national stakeholder engagement. It is a yearly exercise where we assess reforms and their implementation at the state level and engage private sector stakeholders who play critical roles in the economy.

“Many participants have gained valuable insights into government initiatives and channels available for resolving business-related concerns. The engagement has been both informative and productive,” he added.

On his part, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, said the administration of Governor Peter Mbah remained committed to creating a business-friendly environment that attracts investment, supports enterprise growth and expands economic opportunities.

According to him, the state’s ease-of-doing-business reforms commenced shortly after Governor Mbah assumed office and signed an executive order mandating structured reforms across key sectors. He said the reforms were critical to the administration’s goal of growing Enugu’s economy from about $4 billion to $30 billion within eight years.

Ogbu-Nwobodo disclosed that reforms had been implemented in land administration, public-private partnerships, investment promotion, tax administration, trade facilitation and commercial dispute resolution. He added that ministries, departments and agencies were directed to establish service-level agreements to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve service delivery.

“Ease of doing business remains a key priority across government ministries, departments and agencies. The reforms are designed to create an enabling environment for private investment and strengthen Enugu’s position as a leading investment destination,” he said.

The commissioner noted that the reform efforts had produced measurable outcomes, including Enugu’s rise from 36th to sixth position in national ease-of-doing-business rankings within two years.

He also highlighted the state’s attainment of a four-star rating from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), making it one of the few states in Nigeria to achieve the recognition.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of ESIDA, Kenechukwu Nnamani, said the state government would continue to pursue reforms centred on institutional efficiency, digital innovation and stakeholder engagement to improve competitiveness and attract both local and foreign investments.