Buhari signs Nigeria’s first business facilitation bill into law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2022 (also known as the Omnibus Bill) into law.

The Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business/PEBEC Secretary, Dr Jumoke Oduwole in a statement on Friday, said the move marks an important step in the delivery of an enabling environment for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

The Omnibus Bill which is presented as an Executive Bill, the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Act, 2023 is a legislative intervention by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) which amends 21 business related laws, removing bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria.

The new law also codifies the Executive Order 001 on Transparency and Efficiency in Public Service Delivery, the Administration’s first executive order, aimed at strengthening ease of doing business reforms across the country.

In her remarks, Dr Jumoke Oduwole appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and other players who ensured that the bill is signed. She stated that “The PEBEC Secretariat is extremely grateful to see this Act come into fruition.

“It is a culmination of over four years of collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Bar Association Section on Business Law through the participation of over 40 law firms and consulting firms, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER)”, she added.

The Business Facilitation Act, 2023 consolidates the last seven years of PEBEC-led reforms and demonstrates the Administration’s sustained commitment towards making Nigeria a progressively easier place to start and grow a business.