Why Kaduna Excelled In Ease-Of-Doing-Business Ranking – Commissioner

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Mrs Patience Fakai, has said Governor Uba Sani’s infrastructure development and land administration reforms have made state one of the top investment destinations in Nigeria.

The commissioner stated this at a press briefing on Friday, saying that Kaduna State will top the list in the next round of the Ease-of-Doing-Business ranking.

It would be recalled that  Kaduna State came second nationwide in the assessment of states by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) ranking.

In the 2023 report, the state was ranked 8th, with an EoDB score of 6.18 but PEBEC’s latest ranking placed it 2nd in the country, with 65.1 per cent score across 16 indicators.

Speaking about the achievement, Mrs Fakai acknowledged that this year’s success reflects Governor Sani’s deliberate and reform-oriented leadership, “whose unwavering focus on private-sector-led investment has repositioned Kaduna State as a competitive destination for business.”

The commissioner disclosed that the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) assessment cut across infrastructure, digital connectivity, taxation and land administration.

“Kaduna moved up to 2nd place in 2025, reflecting measurable performance gains year-on-year. And by 2027, we will clinch the number one position, going by His Excellency’s development footprints,” she said.

The commissioner pointed out that the governor has repositioned the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA), the one-stop investment hub, to curb bureaucratic bottlenecks that impede investments.

“We strive to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for new investors, improve licensing and registration efficiency. Kaduna State also encourages digitisation of business services and approvals,’’ she added.

According to her, KADIPA has also improved its aftercare service to investors by providing support systems and facilitating dialogue with government officials to ensure that projects move forward.

The commissioner said that these measures, which the governor has put in place, elevated Kaduna State to the second position in the Ease-of-Doing-Business in Nigeria and the first in the North.

Mrs Fakai also noted that the Ease of Doing Business has improved Kaduna State’s “Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from ₦62 billion in 2023 to over ₦71 billion in 2025.

‘’With the ongoing national tax reforms championed by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, it is expected that the State’s IGR will double in 2026.”

She disclosed that the ranking is conducted every two years to measure how state governments “implement reforms that reduce regulatory bottlenecks, improve service delivery, enhance transparency and lower the cost of doing business for investors and enterprises.”

The commissioner added that the ranking aims to encourage healthy competition among states on economic governance reforms and promote private-sector-led growth.