Economic reforms: Kaduna ranks 2nd in ease of doing biz index

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Comprehensive economic reforms driven by the state government have propelled Kaduna State to the position of the second-best performing state in Nigeria in the latest Subnational Ease of Doing Business index.
Governor Uba Sani reaffirmed the state’s aggressive push to secure its business environment on Thursday during the technical session of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) nationwide town hall and state engagement tour held in Kaduna.
Represented by the Commissioner of Business, Innovation, and Technology, Mrs. Patience Fakai, Governor Sani disclosed that the state’s impressive ranking is the direct result of deliberate institutional changes targeted at removing bureaucratic bottlenecks, upgrading transparency, and streamlining regulatory processes for private investors.
By structurally aligning local economic policies with President Bola Tinubu’s national reform agenda, the state has unlocked a highly competitive climate for commerce.
“While we are proud of this achievement, we recognize that reform is a continuous process and not a destination
The lessons and recommendations from today’s sessions will undoubtedly strengthen our reform efforts and help us maintain our position as one of Nigeria’s leading investment destinations,” he stated.
To protect small businesses and lock in its high ranking on the index, the Governor noted that Kaduna is aggressively deepening interventions in investor experience management, creating seamless channels for setting up and running businesses, moving regulatory filings online to cut out red tape, harmonizing local levies and fees to prevent double taxation, and setting up swift commercial dispute mechanisms.
Applauding Kaduna’s milestone on the index, the Director General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, stated that local policy successes are the foundational bedrock of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She maintained that Nigeria’s broader economic metrics are entirely dependent on state-level ease of doing business.
The future of Nigeria’s economy will not be determined in Abuja alone. It will be shaped in states like Kaduna—by the strength of local economies, the competitiveness of businesses, the quality of infrastructure, the effectiveness of institutions, and the confidence investors have,” she added.
The PEBEC Director General concluded by urging the Kaduna State Government to continuously package and communicate its vast logistical and agricultural advantages to global markets, while strengthening its regulatory institutions to lock in long-term investor trust.