By Yomi Ayeleso
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has reassured investors and business owners that his administration would not relent in improving the business environment in order to attract investment to the state.
The Governor who gave the assurance during a Technical Session and State wide town hall meeting organized by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in collaboration with Ekiti State Development and Promotion Agency (EKDIPA) in Ado Ekiti said his government is already fostering economic growth through strategic reforms and collaboration with the private sector.
Highlights of the event include a technical workshop on the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) program and private sector stakeholders鈥 engagement designed to address reform challenges and opportunities for sustainable development in the state.
Oyebanji said he remains committed to policies and reforms aimed at positioning the state as a top choice for investors in Nigeria by eliminating obstacles, improving infrastructure, and implementing business-friendly policies.
Describing the town hall meeting as crucial to aligning the state reforms with the national efforts to improve Nigeria鈥檚 business climate, Governor Oyebanji, who was represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Akin Oyebode, explained that the state government identified improving the business environment as a critical part of its developmental agenda.
The governor highlighted key reforms undertaken by his administration to enhance the ease of doing business in the state to include, waiver for business fee for initial registration, a functional One-Stop Shop within the Investment Promotion Agency to streamline Investment processes, transition law ratified by the State鈥檚 House of Assembly to ensure that projects initiated by one administration are guaranteed to continue, even in the event of change in government.
Others include investment aftercare for the provision of continuous support for investors to enhance their business operations and ensure sustained success, among others.
He said, 鈥淭he reforms that PEBEC has instituted are significant to us in improving the business environment in Nigeria, and it also works very closely with what Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA) is doing. What PEBEC is doing nationally is what EKDIPA is doing in Ekiti State.
鈥淭he whole essence is to improve the business environment for those who are doing business in Ekiti State. We recognise their strength, resilience and sacrifice in doing business here to help in building our economy.
鈥淥ur job as a government is to provide an enabling environment for businesses to grow and thrive so that they can put our young people to work. Ekiti will always be at the forefront of improving the business environment, and there is no better place to do business than in Ekiti State.鈥
The Governor also explained that his government has made significant strides in improving power supply and critical infrastructures that would help investors in Ekiti.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the Senior Reform Leader, Suzana Abdul-Kabdir, who commending the state government for the various efforts at ensuring ease of doing business in the state, said the purpose of the town hall meeting was to review progress, identify challenges, and engage stakeholders on strategies to sustain reforms.
Revealing the council鈥檚 initiative and the purpose of the statewide meeting, the Senior reforms leader explained that PEBEG was established to remove obstacles to doing business in Nigeria and create an environment that supports economic growth and investment
Also in her remarks, the Director General, Ekiti State Development and Promotion Agency (EKDIPA), Lolade Olutona, who commended Governor Oyebanji for his dedication to creating an enabling environment for business, emphasised that EKDIPA remains committed to attracting more investors, fostering economic growth, and supporting the government鈥檚 vision for a prosperous and business-friendly environment.
She said, 鈥 One of the major focuses of this administration is to ensure that businesses in the state are not only surviving but are thriving. One of the things we do as an agency in the state is to check up on existing businesses because it鈥檚 not enough to bring in new investment, but how do you retain and sustain that?鈥
Highlighting the state government鈥檚 efforts through EKDIPA in driving investment-focused reforms in the state, Olutona explained that the state government regularly engages with business owners in the state to resolve operational challenges and ensure their sustainability.
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