The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Tuesday said the Federal Government was committed to ensuring that the country was ranked among the first 100 nations on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index within the next three years.
Ahead of that, she said the government would first ensure that Nigeria moved up 20 places in the ranking index in the first year.
Oyo-Ita spoke at a workshop organised for Federal Government’s agencies, parastatals, corporations and companies on the operationalisation of the Executive Order on promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Nigeria is currently ranked 169 out of 189 countries by the World Bank, according to the bank’s 2016 Ease of Doing Business report.
Oyo-Ita said all the reforms on the ease of doing business in the country, including the recently signed three Executive Orders, were meant to attract companies that had relocated out of the country to return.
She said, “It is worthy of note that the government is committed to creating transparency in the business environment and enunciation of policies that will motivate investors to invest their funds in profitable business activities in the country.
“It is, therefore, hoped that all companies that had hitherto relocated from the country some years back will see reasons to be convinced by the sincerity of purpose being displayed by the present administration in creating a conducive business environment for genuine investors for them to be motivated to return.”
The Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Habiba Lawal, said the Executive Order was one of the measures employed by the current administration to achieve a more judicious management of resources and improved business environment.
She said, “The successful operationalisation of the provisions of the Executive Order requires the collective effort of us as the critical stakeholders in the public sector. In this regard, the objective of this workshop is an awareness campaign to introduce the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council Ease of Doing Business Environment Secretariat.
“It’s operationalisation is expected to usher in a new vista in the conduct of government business that will encourage more commitment in the delivery of public services devoid of corruption, indiscipline and ineptitude.
“To deliver the expected promises of the ‘Change Agenda’, the public service must be primed to effectively perform its role as a catalyst for the efficient implementation of government policies and programmes, and the delivery of essential services. Indeed, a major policy thrust of the current administration is to ensure efficiency to enhance the capacity of the drivers of government policies and programmes’ implementation.”
