The Kogi State Government has announced accelerated efforts to implement reforms under the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, supported by the World Bank, with the goal of improving the ease of doing business across Nigeria’s 36 states.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made this known during a one-day strategic technical session and statewide town hall meeting held in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in Lokoja.
Represented by his Chief Economic Adviser and Kogi State SABER Focal Person, Aliyu Inda Salami, Governor Ododo noted that the engagement centered on the SABER initiative, which is designed to enhance investment readiness and create a more business-friendly environment nationwide.
He highlighted several key reform areas already underway in Kogi, including improvements in land administration, commerce, investment promotion, agriculture, and the legal framework to ease access to credit for businesses.
Describing the session as timely, the Governor said it offered a critical platform to evaluate progress and deepen collaboration among implementing agencies as the state works toward unlocking development financing opportunities both locally and internationally.
In her remarks, PEBEC Director General, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, commended Kogi State’s commitment to the reform agenda and urged the state to intensify its efforts to meet key benchmarks.
She revealed that Kogi currently meets four out of the twelve reform milestones required under the SABER programme. However, with a one-year extension recently granted to the initiative, she stressed that the state has a valuable opportunity to improve its standing.
Princess Zahrah outlined several priority actions for Kogi, including establishing a functional grievance redress mechanism, issuing an executive order to mandate collaboration among five key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), creating small claims courts, and consistently publishing monthly business-related data.
She emphasized that access to SABER funding is strictly performance-based. Of the total $750 million available, only $70.9 million less than 10 percent has been accessed nationwide due to low milestone compliance across many states.
Reaffirming PEBEC’s support for Kogi, she pledged technical assistance and hands-on guidance to help the state’s SABER focal team achieve its goals.
Princess Zahrah also noted that Kogi is strategically positioned and endowed with vast human and natural resources. With the right reforms, she said, the state could become a leading hub for investment and economic growth in Nigeria’s North Central region.