Fed govt launches mobile app to boost ease of doing business

The Federal Government through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) on Thursday launched a new Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Mobile App, Nigeria’s official public service feedback and complaints platform for business environment reforms.

The web-based portal or platform will enable the PEBEC office resolve issues and complaints encountered by private sector operators with government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within 72 hours of lodging same.

President Muhammadu Buhari established thee PEBEC in July 2016 with the aim of eliminating the delays and restrictions that come with doing business in Nigeria thereby, making the country a place to start and grow a business.

On May 18, 2017, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, signed the first executive order (EO1) to promote transparency and efficiency in the business environment. It was aimed at removing the hurdles that stand in the way of a bigger and more productive private sector.

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The launch of the (EoDB) Mobile App in Lagos, on Thursday, was therefore, a step forward in the Federal Government’s resolve to make the business environment conducive and also boost domestic and foreign investments.

At the unveiling of the web-based application, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, explained that while the EO1 was all on transparency and efficiency, the app is the other side of the coin, where the private

sector gets to see what is going on from their end.

She described the EoDB Mobile App as revolutionary, pointing out that Nigeria has never walked down this road before. “Collaboration has been the cornerstone of this initiative,” she said, adding that PEBEC engaged extensively with various stakeholders.

While noting that the initiative was aimed at making sure that public and civil servants adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Oduwole said the PEBEC has spent a lot of time building capacity to ensure that feedbacks and complaints from the private sector are resolved within the 72 hours approved by the president. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, said the launch of the web-based app was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to being a business enabler and facilitator. “It’s about energizing businesses and making the business environment conducive,” he said.

He said the app, which is now available for download, is already on Goodle Store, while efforts are being made to also put it on Apple Play Store. He also assured that complaints made on the new app will be quickly resolved, urging users to download it on their mobile

phones. The Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, described the app as “A game changer and one of the best things to happen to this country.”

He said although, the PEBEC office has been doing a lot, it’s still work in progress. “There is still a whole lot more to be done, despite a few progresses that have been made,” he said.

Yusuf, who spoke during a panel discussion to discuss issues bordering on transparency and efficiency of service delivery in Nigeria, observed, for instance, that there is need for the World Bank to review the indicators for composition of the EoDB Index to reflect the reality of each country.

He said countries vary in their peculiarities and challenges; that some of the indicators in the EoDB composition do not properly capture the critical variables in the Nigerian environment such as power, transportation and security.

“We need to address all these other variables that are not on the list of the EoDB parameters,”

Yusuf said, pointed out, for instance, that the present indicators are about construction permit, ease of starting business, credit, reforms, trading across borders, among others.

The launch of the Mobile App was the high point of the Third Regulatory Convention organised by The Convention on Business Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, LCCI and Business Day Newspapers.

It was held in partnership with the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) with the theme “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.”