National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

Lagos state has emerged as Nigeria’s most business-friendly state in the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report released by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

The report, which assessed all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ranked Lagos first with an 85.6 per cent performance score, far ahead of Kaduna in second place with 65.1 per cent. Oyo placed third with 62.7 per cent, followed by the FCT at 61.0 per cent and Ogun at 59.9 per cent.

FG Declares Lagos Best State in 2025 PEBEC Ease of Doing Business

Enugu and Plateau jointly occupied sixth position with 56.2 per cent each, while Ekiti placed eighth with 55.8 per cent. Kano and Nasarawa completed the top 10 with 54.8 per cent and 53.4 per cent respectively.

Scope of the 2025 EoDB Assessment
The 2025 EoDB Report assessed state performance across 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics covering electricity supply, infrastructure, digital connectivity, land administration, taxation, trade logistics, justice delivery, investor support and skilled labour readiness.

PEBEC said the top-ranking states distinguished themselves through consistent reform momentum, improved digital processes and more predictable regulatory environments.

Five Urgent Reform Priorities for States
The report also identified five urgent reform priorities for states, including the establishment of investor aftercare systems, strengthening MSME credit access, harmonising interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice processes and improving power reliability for industrial clusters.

PEBEC’s Director-General, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, said the report provides a foundation for deeper reforms, policy decisions and long-term competitiveness across Nigeria.

Top-Performing Federal MDAs in BFA Compliance
The release of the EoDB report coincided with the publication of PEBEC’s 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report, which assessed the compliance of 69 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with transparency and service efficiency standards between January and October 2025.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) emerged as the best-performing MDA with a 90.6 per cent score, followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at 89.3 per cent and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at 86.6 per cent. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) completed the top five with 85.3 per cent and 84.2 per cent respectively.

“These agencies stood out for strong compliance with statutory obligations, digital process optimisation, predictable service levels and improved responsiveness to citizens and businesses,” PEBEC said.
Princess Audu urged MDAs to use the report to deepen their commitment to delivering predictable, technology-driven and globally competitive services to the business community.