The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report, naming Lagos State as the best-performing state with a score of 85.6 per cent. The report, made public by the director-general of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, placed Kaduna in second position with 65.1 per cent, while Oyo, FCT, and Ogun completed the top five with scores of 62.7 per cent, 61.0 per cent, and 59.9 per cent respectively.
Enugu ranked sixth with 56.2 per cent, followed by Plateau, which also scored 56.2 per cent. Ekiti recorded 55.8 per cent, Kano followed with 54.8 per cent, and Nasarawa secured the tenth position with 53.4 per cent. The EoDB report is described as a comprehensive data-driven assessment of how Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT are shaping business competitiveness through regulation, infrastructure, and administrative efficiency.
It examines 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics that reflect electricity access, infrastructure quality, digital connectivity, land administration, taxation, trade logistics, justice delivery, investor support, and availability of skilled labour.
According to Mustapha-Audu, the leading states distinguished themselves through reform momentum, improved digital systems, and more predictable regulatory frameworks. She stated, “The 2025 Report also highlights five priority interventions states can implement immediately. These include establishing investor aftercare systems, strengthening MSME credit enablement, harmonising interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice processes, and improving power reliability for industrial clusters.”
She added that PEBEC will continue supporting state-led reform adoption, especially through the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme.
She explained that “the 2025 Subnational EoDB Report provides a critical foundation for policy action, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness across Nigeria.” The DG also confirmed that the Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report is available for download at www.pebec.gov.ng/reports.
PEBEC had earlier published its 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report, which assesses the performance of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) between January and October. The evaluation forms part of the council’s effort to track federal MDAs’ compliance with BFA requirements on transparency and service efficiency for businesses.
The assessment covered 69 priority MDAs using monthly compliance submissions, mystery shopping, website reviews, ReportGov analytics, and targeted verification processes.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) topped the rankings with a score of 90.6 per cent, followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 89 per cent. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) ranked third at 86.6 per cent, while the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) placed fourth and fifth with scores of 85.3 per cent and 84.2 per cent.
PEBEC, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was established in July 2016 to supervise reforms that ease business operations nationwide. The council was tasked with removing bureaucratic and legislative barriers as well as improving public perception of Nigeria’s business environment.
The 2025 subnational report gained wide media attention, reinforcing Lagos’ dominance with its 85.6 per cent score. Observers note that Lagos’ strong performance is partly linked to its growing tech ecosystem. The state reportedly attracted over US$6 billion in tech funding between 2019 and 2024 and now hosts about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s 2,000 active tech startups, positioning it as a major digital innovation hub.
In related national reform efforts, the federal government recently approved a ₦185 billion payment to settle gas debts owed to producers. The move is expected to stabilise electricity supply, a factor highlighted by PEBEC as vital for industrial clusters and improved competitiveness.
Experts believe this could support states in addressing infrastructure gaps mentioned in the EoDB report and contribute to stronger business performance outcomes across Nigeria.
