If there was any doubt about which governmental setup has performed the most in terms of overall output rounding since the beginning of this year, a Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has made it clear that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is the best one out of all.

Since the establishment of the PEBEC in July 2016, the inter-governmental and inter-ministerial Council, which is chaired by Vice President of Nigeria Kashim Shettima, have busied itself with assisting MDAs to implement various reform agenda of the past eight years.

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 For its ‘2024 Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report (January 2024 – June 2024),’ which was published three days ago in Abuja, NCDMB scored 71.6 percent in Efficiency Compliance and 100 percent in Transparency Assessment. This helped the Board to attain 80.1 percent as its (Overall Business Facilitation Act 2022) performance score.

According to the Presidential Business Council, points are awarded by applying an efficiency and transparency scale weighing 70 percent and 30 percent, in that order.

Everything coming together in this latest report shows the Board retaining the top ranking for 24 consecutive months – January 2022 to June 2022, the second half of that year and the entire 2023. 

There is no doubt that the data is visible and has attracted enquiries made by Ghanaian neighbours and an invitation to visit the southern part of the African continent – Namibia specifically. These are pointers that the Board is truly impressing. 

NCDMB sees its output under the Efficiency Compliance Ranking as the PEBEC rating it for adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), cost management, procedural efficiency, One Government directive, and instances of Default Approval as provided in the Business Facilitation Act, 2022.

It cannot be said that other ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government have not been given their best. Only that Engr. Felix Ogbe, the NCDMB Executive Secretary and his team have been doing their utmost best.

The presidential council’s Transparency Ranking focused on how effectively MDA make essential information accessible to the public and when they provide clarity and completeness of published details on service level agreements, operating procedures, eligibility requirements, timelines and fees.

Beyond noticing the Board’s exceptional qualities in the year running, there is a general optimistic outlook when considering the effort being made by other governmental institutions.

Exactly 40 MDAs marked “PEBEC Priority MDAs” were rated in the 2024 Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), another agency whose role matters for a healthy business environment, was only about two points behind NCDMB at 78.2 percent.

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) with 74.8 percent is next, placing it after SON on the list in the second and third spots.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.