Kwara State has earned commendation from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) for its improved ranking in Nigeria's subnational business environment assessment, reflecting growing efforts to attract investment and promote enterprise development.

"Kwara has shown improvement in national subnational business environment rankings; of course, there is still room for further progress," Reform Leader for High-Impact Investments at PEBEC, Office of the Vice President, Mr Prosper Ogbonna, stated at the nationwide town hall and state engagement tour of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council held in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

"The objective of the ranking is not to name and shame states but to encourage healthy competition, peer learning and continuous improvement," he said.

Ogbonna identified land administration as one of the areas where the state has recorded commendable progress, noting that investors could obtain Certificates of Occupancy within 30 days once all requirements were met.

He also stressed the need to strengthen the state's one-stop investment centre to enable investors to access multiple government services from a central location.

According to him, efforts are also being made to harmonise taxes and levies to eliminate multiple charges, reduce the cost of doing business and curb revenue leakages.

"These reforms are important because they not only improve government efficiency but also reduce the burden on businesses and citizens," he stated.

The PEBEC Reform Leader stated that the council's visit was aimed at providing technical support to business-facing ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the state.

Ogbonna stated that the intervention was designed to improve service delivery, strengthen the ease of doing business and make Kwara more competitive as an investment destination.

He noted that PEBEC's mandate was to ensure a conducive business environment across Nigeria through reforms that simplify government procedures and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.

On her part, the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Ease of Doing Business Council in Kwara, Dr Hauwa Nuru, explained that the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had implemented several reforms aimed at creating a business-friendly environment and strengthening public service delivery.

She stated that land administration processes had been digitised, enabling residents and investors to complete and submit land documentation online and collect their Certificate of Occupancy within a month.

"Our ongoing reforms in land administration, tax management, transparency and infrastructure development are enhancing the state's attractiveness to investors and improving the ease of doing business," she said.

Nuru added that the state's tax administration system had also been digitised to improve efficiency, block leakages and expand the tax net without imposing additional burdens on citizens.

"We have strengthened transparency and accountability. Government financial records and budget information are available online in real time, making governance more open and accessible," she stated.

The Commissioner noted that investments in road infrastructure, education and healthcare had contributed significantly to economic growth and investor confidence.

Nuru stated that the state has witnessed increased investor interest, driven largely by improved infrastructure and a growing number of public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives.

Other speakers at the town hall meeting included the Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju; Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Dr Mary Arinde; Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Hospital Management Board, Dr Malik AbdulRaheem; and the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Geographic Information Service, Sulaiman Abdulkareem.