The Federal Government through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has said that it is intensifying efforts to integrate data systems across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to streamline business services and improve ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), disclosed on Monday in Abuja during the Second Regulatory Retreat for Heads of MDAs and Reform Champions, themed: “From Collaboration to Integration: Digitising Government Services Through Shared System Data.”
She said the government was moving beyond basic digitalisation to full integration of public service systems to ensure seamless service delivery for businesses and citizens.
According to her, PEBEC has already grouped business-facing MDAs into clusters based on shared responsibilities and interdependencies to ensure that reforms, policies and operations are aligned toward a unified government direction.
“We are looking at how MDAs can come together, depend more on each other, integrate their systems and create a seamless interface for end users,” she said.
Audu noted that the National Single Window initiative within the ports and customs ecosystem had demonstrated the benefits of centralised data sharing and inter-agency collaboration in reducing delays and improving efficiency.
She explained that the retreat was part of PEBEC’s practical reform strategy aimed at identifying gaps within government systems and creating workable solutions to address them.
“We identify the gaps and then create solutions to fix those gaps. The most important thing for us during this session was to create the will among heads of agencies to understand the need for alignment, interdependency and interconnectivity,” she added.
She disclosed that the next phase would involve building platforms and digital infrastructure that would allow MDAs to integrate their operations effectively, in partnership with agencies such as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone and private sector stakeholders.
Also speaking at the retreat, Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, said Nigeria could no longer afford fragmented institutional processes and analogue systems that weaken productivity and investor confidence.
Hadejia said modern governance now demands technology-driven systems capable of delivering services with greater speed, transparency, interoperability and accountability.
“The effectiveness of modern governance will be measured not merely by policy formulation, but by the operational capacity of institutions to exchange data securely, automate workflows efficiently, reduce transaction costs and deliver responsive citizen-centric services,” he said.
He noted that the progress achieved under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA) had shown the benefits of institutional alignment and inter-agency coordination.
Obianuju Ifeyinwa Uchenna, The Country Director of the Tony Blair Institute, said technology remained a critical enabler for efficient governance and service delivery.
According to her, studies indicate that Nigeria could achieve up to 60 per cent cost savings across MDAs by eliminating duplication in data collection and government processes.
“You should only need to provide your information once. Once government agencies can access shared databases, processes become easier, cheaper and less frictional for citizens and businesses,” she said.
She, however, acknowledged that building a unified national database would be challenging due to the country’s scale and varying institutional systems, stressing the need for prioritisation and phased implementation.
Meanwhile, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA),, emphasised the importance of skills development in supporting businesses and driving economic growth.
He said NECA, in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), had trained thousands of young Nigerians in technical skills over the past 16 years, with over 90 per cent of graduates either securing employment or becoming entrepreneurs.
Oyerinde also disclosed that NECA was collaborating with Microsoft and the International Organisation of Employers to train 100,000 young Nigerians and 30,000 SMEs on artificial intelligence applications.
He described PEBEC as “one of the biggest positives that has happened to this nation in recent years,” noting that its reforms were helping to regulate inefficiencies within government institutions and improve the business environment.