FIC Report (Enugu State) – Speaking with journalists after the Enugu edition of PEBEC’s Town Hall Meeting with the Organised Private Sector, investors and other stakeholders held at Hotel Presidential on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the South-East Zonal Team Lead of PEBEC, Mr. Gabriel Ohiemie, praised the reforms being implemented by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration to improve the business climate in the state.
Ohiemie explained that the town hall meeting, which is being held simultaneously across the six geopolitical zones of the country, was designed to identify challenges affecting the ease of doing business and to generate policy reforms that would address them.
He noted that while Enugu State had made significant progress in strengthening business growth, responses gathered through questionnaires administered to participants would help identify areas requiring further improvement.
According to him, feedback from stakeholders is critical to shaping policy reforms aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s business environment and improving the country’s global competitiveness.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu Nwobodo, said Governor Mbah’s administration had, over the past three years, focused on removing obstacles hindering ease of doing business in the state.
In his remarks, he said:”Three years into this administration, our focus has been clear, dismantle bottlenecks, improve infrastructure, digitize processes, and build investor confidence.
“The goal is ambitious but achievable – a $30 billion economy driven by private sector growth”.
Nwobodo described the engagement with PEBEC as timely, noting that the council’s mandate aligns with Enugu State’s vision of making business operations easier, faster and more profitable.
He stated: “No government can get reforms right in isolation. The true test of policy is in the live experience of business owners, investors, and operators on the ground. That is why your voice matters today”.
The commissioner stressed that recommendations and feedback from the engagement would form part of the state’s policy and reform roadmap.
According to him: “Our objective is simple: fewer frictions, lower costs of doing business, and greater investment inflows into Enugu state.”
He also commended PEBEC and stakeholders for their candid contributions and constructive feedback on reform efforts and existing challenges.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Enugu State Investment Development Authority (ESIDA), Dr. Kenechukwu Nnamani, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a competitive and investment-friendly environment through continuous reforms, institutional efficiency, digital innovation and sustained stakeholder engagement.
The one-day public-private stakeholders’ engagement attracted commissioners and heads of Business Enabling Environment (BEE) Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie; Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu; Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Ben Collins Ndu Jnr.; Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Dr. Felix Nnamani; Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Obi Ozo; Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Uburu; Managing Director of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Ekene Nnamani; Managing Director of the Enugu State Geographic Information Systems (ENGIS), Prince Chiwetalu Nwatu; State Surveyor-General, Surv. Justus Chime; Deputy Chief Whip of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Obiajulu Ugwu; and Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Trade, Investment and Industry, Budget and Planning, Works and Infrastructure, and Lands.
Representatives of the Organised Private Sector also addressed participants at the meeting, including the President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe; President of the Nsukka Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Barr. Sam Otoboeze; President of the 9th Mile Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Surv. L.C.K. Ugwu; and the Group Managing Director of COPEN Group and representative of the Organised Private Sector, Rev. Ugo Chime.
The stakeholders commended the Enugu State Government for its numerous business-friendly reforms and for providing a platform that enables the private sector to contribute meaningfully to improving the state’s investment and business environment.
Ewoh Telma
FMINO
ENUGU STATE.
