Abuja: Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to enhance their collaboration to create a more conducive business environment in Nigeria. His remarks came at the conclusion of the PEBEC retreat for MDA Heads and Reform Champions held in Abuja. Shettima emphasized the importance of maintaining Nigeria’s attractiveness as a hub for investment and economic development.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Shettima reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to the eight-point ‘Renewed Hope agenda’, which he considers crucial for simplifying the business landscape and improving ease of doing business. He stated that the retreat, chaired by PEBEC, was not just about reviewing reforms but fostering deeper synergy. “The machinery of government is too complex for silos. We cannot afford isolation when our challenges are increasingly interconnected,” Shettima remarked.
He highlighted PEBEC’s success in demonstrating that collaborative governance is achievable and effective within Nigeria’s public sector. PEBEC unites MDAs with overlapping responsibilities, enabling shared objectives, synchronized timelines, and renewed public trust. Shettima urged participants to ensure their decisions reflect a commitment to collaboration, innovation, and tangible improvements in government service delivery.
Shettima stressed that trust is the cornerstone of public governance, without which no reform can have a lasting impact on Nigerians. He called for an end to blame-shifting and bureaucratic territorial disputes, emphasizing that the country’s economic and social future hinges on the actions of public servants today. “Our people are watching. Investors are waiting. We must shift from policy to performance, ambition to execution. From silos to synergy,” he stated.
He further asserted that Nigerians deserve efficient, transparent, and responsive institutions. Whether it involves registering a business or accessing a service, citizens should not be bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles. Streamlining procedures, eliminating redundancies, and leveraging technology for transparency and efficiency were highlighted as priorities.
Shettima urged MDA heads to focus on joint planning, data sharing, and shared performance indicators. He encouraged them to replace the mindset of ‘this is not my mandate’ with a spirit of teamwork. He proposed forming interagency task teams for essential reforms and resolving conflicts through dialogue and innovation, ensuring that every gain is institutionalized. “This is how we build a government that works – not in fragments, but in complete sync,” Shettima concluded.
The News Agency of Nigeria notes that the PEBEC retreat is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to enhance the ease of doing business across the country.