FIC Report (Anambra State) – The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in collaboration with the State Action On Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) has convened a vital town hall meeting with business leaders and stakeholders in Anambra State, as part of its 2025 nationwide tour to assess and accelerate business enabling reforms at the subnational level.
The town hall meeting which took place at the Mini Hall, International Conference Centre, Awka, the capital city of Anambra state, brought together key stakeholders from the private and public sectors to engage on schemes and strategies aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the state.
In his opening address, the deputy governor of Anambra state, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, who represented Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo welcomed the delegates from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to the state and enumerated the achievements and reforms orchestrated by the governor that have simplified conducting business within the state
Dr Ibezim revealed that the present state administration have always been in alliance with the policies and mission of PEBEC while assuring of Governor soludo’s plans to keep ensuring that the state remains conducive and safe for ease of transacting businesses.
In a remark, the Honorable commissioner for economic and budget planning Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, who commended the delegation from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) for their resilience and efforts revealed that Anambra State has been with SABER since December 2023 and that these reforms are deliberate attempts by the State Government to improve the business environment in the state.
The commissioner maintained that the growth and development of businesses is majorly in the hands of the private sectors in the state and further stated the governor’s assurance of a safe and enabling environment for every business community in the state.
The reform associate of PEBEC, Oluwatofumni Dayo expressed gratitude to the Anambra State Government for co-hosting the town hall meeting and for its commitment to business reform initiatives and noted that the session was designed to give the private sector a platform to voice their experiences and challenges in conducting businesses within the State.
She assured stakeholders that the concerns and feedback received would be positively attended to from the government and relevant agencies.
A video was played for further enlightenment of the participants detailing the roles and objectives of PEBEC. The video outlined the Council’s mission to:
- Simplify business processes, Improve transparency, Enhance infrastructure and logistics, Deepen sector-specific reforms, Promote subnational (state-level) reforms and Foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Encourage private sector participants to continually provide feedback, reaffirming PEBEC’s dedication to easing business operations across all sectors.
Speaking during the overview of the SABER program and DLIs structure was Ifeanyi Icheke who handled DLI 4 and 5, and Oluwatofumni Dayo who handled DLI 6,7 and 8.
A live Panel Session was held where government officials interfaced with business unions and stakeholders.
The Honourable commissioner for industry, Mr Christian Udechukwu while thanking the stakeholders expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu and her team for organizing the series of townhall meetings across the various states of the federation.
Mr Udechukwu acknowledged that Anambra state over the years have taken technological and infrastructural growth very seriously and that plans and logistics are in place to move every major market in the state online for easy accessibility to people via the internet. He further assured that Anambra state which ranked number 1 in South East in ease of doing business will rank the same first position nationwide against the seventh position which they have maintained consecutively for the last 3 years.
Dr. Mike Anyadiegwu, one of the Chief Magistrates in Anambra state made it known that the Anambra state Government has strategically designated some small courts nearer to Anambra people, adding that one can file a suit by merely filling forms from those courts in other to get justice, especially the business men.
Signed
Orji Felicia Chinyere
For The Head of Centre
FIRC, Awka.
8/7/2025
