Shock Gaps Exposed as FG Names Top and Bottom Performers in Business Facilitation in Nigeria
- The Nigerian government has released a new ranking showing the best and worst-performing agencies in 20025
- The Business Facilitation Act (BFA) ranks ministries, agencies and parastatals (MDAs) at the end of every year
- The review covers January to October 2025, tracking progress in transparency, service efficiency, digital processes, among others
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
The latest Business Facilitation Act (BFA) performance report from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council offers a clear picture of how well government agencies are supporting businesses this year.
The review covers January to October 2025, tracking progress in transparency, service efficiency, digital processes, complaint resolution and overall responsiveness.
Source: Getty Images
The results show both encouraging reforms and stubborn gaps.
Below is a breakdown of how the major ministries, departments and agencies performed, grouped into five easy-to-read tiers.
The top performers driving real change
These are the agencies setting the pace and showing what consistent discipline and digital transformation can achieve.
• NCDMB – 90.6% The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board leads the national chart after posting exceptional numbers in transparency, service delivery and compliance.
• NDLEA – 89.3% The drug enforcement agency takes second place with strong improvements in internal processes and efficiency.
• Nigeria Customs Service – 86.6% Customs rose sharply this year on the back of more automated systems and better adherence to service agreements.
Also in the top bracket are the Nigerian Communications Commission (85.3%), Nigerian Ports Authority (84.2%), National Information Technology Development Agency (79.9%) and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (79.4%).
The Immigration Service (76.9%), Electricity Management Service Agency (73.8%), Corporate Affairs Commission (72.3%) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (71.6%) complete the upper-tier list.
The mid-tier agencies showing steady but uneven progress
According to a report by TheCable, these agencies passed the 50 percent mark but still have work to do, especially around automation, speed and complaint management.
The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (69.9%), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (68%), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (65.1%) and the Agricultural Quarantine Service (64.8%) all sit in the middle group.
They are joined by the Bureau for Public Procurement (60.6%), NOTAP (60.1%), the Shippers Council (59.9%), the Electricity Regulatory Commission (58.3%), the Pension Commission (57.8%), FAAN (56.2%), FIRS (55.2%), Federal Road Safety Corps (53.5%) and NAFDAC (52.9%).
The low performers falling below expectations
A number of agencies fell short of the minimum 50 percent threshold. Their struggles range from slow service delivery to weak transparency systems.
This category includes the Airspace Management Agency (48.8%), the EFCC’s SCUML unit (48.5%), Civil Aviation Authority (48.2%), NEXIM Bank (46.9%), Export Processing Zones Authority (46.5%), Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (45.1%) and the Investment Promotion Council (44.6%).
Others such as NIMASA (42.4%), National Inland Waterways Authority (38.9%), Patent and Design Registry (38.9%), NAICOM (37.3%), Agricultural Insurance Corporation (37.1%) and Galaxy Backbone (37.0%) also sit here.
The bottom-tier agencies struggling to keep up
These agencies posted some of the weakest numbers in the entire report.
The Industrial Training Fund (30.8%), Securities and Exchange Commission (28.9%), the national collateral registry (25.5%), NESREA (24.6%), Bank of Industry (24.1%), Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (22.9%), trademarks registry (22.3%) and the ministry of interior (19.5%) are among the lowest scorers.
At the very bottom are NIPOST (17.1%), Copyright Commission (16.3%), Federal Produce Inspection Service (16%), National Bureau of Statistics (14.9%), Environmental Health Council (14.5%), Joint Tax Board (14.6%), NIMC (12.7%), SERVICOM (12.6%) and ARCON, which finished last with 3 percent.
How the regions performed
PEBEC’s sub-national report shows that the business environment still varies widely across the country.
The north-east remains the lowest-performing region due to deep structural challenges, though a few states are improving.
The south-south shows mixed outcomes, while the north-west displays a wide gap between strong and weak states.
Source: Facebook
The south-west leads the nation, followed by the north-central and the south-east.
The council says continued reforms, stronger automation and better discipline across agencies are essential to boost competitiveness and make the business climate more reliable for millions of entrepreneurs.
FG opens new funding platforms for SMEs
Legit.ng earlier reported that Imo is gaining renewed attention at the national level as the Federal Government introduces new financing channels aimed at strengthening small businesses, agro-processing and gas-based industries across the state.
The announcement came during the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri, where the Vice President described the state as an emerging growth hub in Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.
A major highlight of the summit was the disclosure that the Bank of Industry and the Development Bank of Nigeria will open fresh funding pathways for entrepreneurs.
Source: Legit.ng
