Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on state governments across Nigeria to intensify efforts in implementing reforms under the $750 million World Bank-supported State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, warning that failure to act swiftly could limit the country’s economic growth potential.
Speaking on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima said the success of the programme depends largely on how effectively states carry out key reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and attracting investment.
He explained that the SABER initiative is designed to create a more predictable, transparent and investor-friendly business environment across Nigeria’s subnational governments. According to him, effective implementation would boost private sector confidence, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, and strengthen both digital and physical infrastructure needed for economic expansion.
The Vice President noted that the programme also targets improvements in critical areas such as access to land, efficiency in commercial justice systems, and the overall competitiveness of states in attracting domestic and foreign investment.
He added that successful execution of the reforms would stimulate job creation, increase productivity, raise internally generated revenue and ultimately improve living standards for citizens across the country.
To ensure states fully benefit from the initiative, Shettima directed the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Zarah Mustapha-Audu, to begin steps toward extending the programme by an additional year. He said the extension would provide more time for states to complete ongoing reforms and consolidate gains already achieved.
The Vice President further stressed that Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy is closely tied to the effectiveness of state-level reforms, noting that subnational governments play a critical role in driving investment and economic diversification.
He urged state officials and stakeholders to engage actively with the programme and take advantage of its framework to position their states as competitive destinations for business and sustainable development.
Also speaking at the meeting, Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, called for stronger coordination and renewed commitment from all stakeholders to address implementation challenges and ensure the programme delivers measurable results in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Officials say the SABER programme remains one of the key policy tools aimed at improving Nigeria’s investment climate and accelerating inclusive economic growth nationwide.
