Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on state governments to accelerate business-enabling reforms to maximize the benefits of the $750 million World Bank-supported State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme. He emphasized that subnational reforms are critical to attracting investment and driving economic growth.
Shettima also directed the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zarah Mustapha-Audu, to initiate steps toward extending the lifespan of the programme by one year. This extension would enable states to fully utilize the opportunities offered by the initiative.
Speaking yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting on optimizing the implementation of the SABER programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President stated that effective implementation would create a more predictable and transparent business environment across the country. He noted that the programme would help attract domestic and foreign investments, boost private-sector confidence, reduce the cost of doing business, expand digital and physical infrastructure, improve access to land and commercial justice systems, and enhance the competitiveness of states.
According to him, the reforms would ultimately translate into increased economic activity, higher productivity, job creation, improved internally generated revenue, and better living standards for Nigerians. “These outcomes will translate into increased economic activity, higher productivity, job creation, improved internally generated revenue, and better living standards for our citizens,” he said.
Shettima added that Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy would be better realized if states fully embrace and implement the SABER programme. “I therefore encourage us to engage constructively and contribute meaningfully to our deliberations. Let us seize this opportunity to unlock the full potential of the SABER Programme and position our states as engines of economic growth, investment and sustainable development,” he added.
The Vice President linked the success of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda to the creation of a conducive environment for businesses, noting that many of the factors influencing investors’ decisions are controlled at the state level. “As a nation, we have embarked on a bold economic reform agenda under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu. The success of this agenda depends significantly on our ability to create an enabling environment for businesses to invest, expand and create jobs.”
“While the Federal Government continues to implement reforms at the national level, the reality remains that many of the conditions that define the experience of investors and businesses are determined at the subnational level. This is why the role of state governments in the implementation of SABER is critical,” he stated.
Earlier, Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, urged stakeholders to address implementation bottlenecks to ensure the programme delivers on its objectives in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She expressed confidence that states would fully access the $750 million performance-based intervention developed by the World Bank and the PEBEC Secretariat.
In her presentation, PEBEC Director-General Zarah Mustapha-Audu said the council remained committed to eliminating bureaucratic hurdles through collaboration with government institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders. She explained that although disbursements under the programme are tied to specific performance targets, participating states are making steady progress in meeting the required indicators for fund access.
