The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has directed all federal ministries, departments, and agencies to suspend the introduction of new policies and regulatory changes until full compliance with the Regulatory Impact Analysis Framework is achieved. The directive, issued by PEBEC Director-General Princess Zahrah Mustapha-Audu in Abuja, forms part of the government’s broader push to improve regulatory quality and strengthen Nigeria’s ease of doing business environment.
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What prompted the directive
Inconsistent and poorly sequenced policy rollouts have long been one of the most persistent complaints from businesses operating in Nigeria. New regulations introduced without adequate assessment have repeatedly disrupted operations, spooked investors, and created compliance burdens that fall disproportionately on smaller businesses with fewer resources to adapt.
The Regulatory Impact Analysis Framework, formally inaugurated in January 2025, was designed precisely to prevent this. It requires that all government policies be backed by verifiable data before approval and rollout. The PEBEC directive effectively enforces this requirement across the entire civil service.
No new reform or policy will be permitted to proceed without being grounded in clear, verifiable evidence — a standard that, if maintained, would represent a meaningful shift in how Nigeria governs its business environment.
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What it means for businesses and investors
For businesses, particularly SMEs that operate with thin margins and limited capacity to absorb sudden regulatory changes, the suspension offers a degree of predictability that has often been absent. Frequent policy reversals and surprise regulatory changes have historically made business planning difficult and dampened investor confidence.
Analysts view the directive as a step toward institutionalising transparency and accountability in policymaking. MDAs that need to introduce new reforms must now seek technical support from the PEBEC Secretariat and align fully with the RIA Framework before proceeding. Exceptions will only be granted in cases of urgent national interest, subject to high-level approval.
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The broader context
Nigeria’s ease of doing business ranking has improved in recent years, but structural obstacles, including policy unpredictability, remain a concern for both domestic entrepreneurs and foreign investors. The PEBEC directive signals that the government is aware of this and is taking steps to address it through institutional reform rather than one-off interventions.
For SMEs especially, a more stable and predictable regulatory environment reduces the cost of compliance and allows business owners to focus resources on growth rather than responding to policy shifts they had no warning about.
