FG, LASG hold town hall meeting to improve business environment in Lagos
By Adeola Ogunrinde –
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in partnership with the Lagos State Government, has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a more conducive environment for businesses to thrive. This was emphasized during the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Technical Session and Town Hall Meeting held at Combo Hall, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada-Ambrose, described Lagos as a state that recognises the importance of institutional reforms. She said prosperity requires more than just potential and highlighted Lagos’ adoption of the SABER framework as a tool for governance reform and private sector engagement.
She stressed that reforms must be built on policy clarity, infrastructure, regulatory transparency, and public-private collaboration. According to her, SABER—driven by PEBEC, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Debt Management Office, and the World Bank—provides a strategic blueprint to align ease of doing business reforms with local realities.
Ambrose added that Lagos’ implementation of SABER aligns with its long-term plans, including the Lagos State Industrial Policy (LSIP 2025–2030), the T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda, and the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) 2052. She also announced that the Lagos State Export Readiness Programme for MSMEs would commence on July 2, 2025, in collaboration with Afreximbank, alongside the Lagos Corporate Assembly meeting scheduled for July.
Director General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, noted that state-level policies significantly impact businesses. She said partnerships with state governments through the SABER initiative will help improve regulatory environments and foster stronger collaboration with stakeholders.
Audu reiterated PEBEC’s dedication to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in enhancing the national business climate. She highlighted ongoing reforms at the federal level, including reducing customs inspections to one day and addressing multiple taxation and levies.
She added that the Federal Government is working to ensure inter-agency synergy and better data sharing to minimise duplication of inspections. “This session is expected to highlight key issues and propose practical solutions to ease doing business in Lagos State,” she said.
The town hall featured a panel discussion that explored ways to deepen engagement between the public and private sectors, with participants proposing actionable steps to improve the business environment across the state.
