The 2023 Nigeria Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report illuminated the differing degrees of business-friendliness throughout the country’s states. This analysis, which is a detailed examination of business conditions at the state level, has provided useful insights into the Nigerian corporate scene.
Infrastructure, transparency and accessibility of information, skills and labor, secure and stable environment, regulatory environment, and economic opportunity were all clearly specified in the report’s metrics and data collection techniques.
According to a survey by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), overall EoDB satisfaction in Nigeria has improved marginally, but discontent persists. This emphasizes the need of assessing the ease of doing business in individual states in order to discover opportunities for development and improvement. With this as a backdrop, let’s have a look at the Nigerian states with the best ease of doing business in 2023.
1. Gombe state
With an EoDB score of 7.15, Gombe State stands out as the best performer. It ranks third in infrastructure, second in transparency, and ninth in skills. Gombe’s secure environment scores first, encouraging trust, but its regulatory environment rates fifth. It also ranks 13th in economic opportunities, demonstrating a strong commitment to creating a business-friendly environment.
2. Jigawa State
Jigawa State comes in second place with an EoDB score of 6.88. It ranks first in transparency and accessibility to information, second in skills and labor, and second in the regulatory environment. It also ranks third in both the secure and stable environment and economic potential, demonstrating its dedication to business friendliness. Jigawa’s investment in human resources is a major component in the company’s good performance in these areas.
3. Sokoto state
Sokoto State came in third place with an EoDB score of 6.83. It has noteworthy strengths, ranking fifth in infrastructure, sixth in openness and information accessibility, and third in regulatory environment. Furthermore, it ranks fifth in economic opportunity, demonstrating its dedication to promoting company growth. However, Sokoto has space for improvement in its skills and labor pool, which is ranked 24th, as well as in maintaining a secure and stable environment, which is ranked 16th, all of which are critical for company attraction and retention.
4. Kebbi State
Kebbi State took fourth place with an amazing EoDB score of 6.74. The state’s outstanding performance is reflected in first-place rankings in infrastructure and the regulatory environment. It also ranks third in transparency and information accessibility, eighth in skills and labor, and first in economic opportunity. Kebbi’s second-place finish in the secure and stable environment demonstrates the company’s unwavering dedication to cultivating a favorable business atmosphere.
5. Katsina state
Katsina State took fifth place with a commendable EoDB score of 6.52. The state ranks 11th in infrastructural strength and 10th in transparency and accessibility to information. Notably, Katsina ranks fourth in the regulatory environment, owing to its business-friendly policies. Furthermore, it ranks ninth in skills and labor and eleventh in economic opportunities. However, there is opportunity for improvement in the secure and stable environment area, which currently ranks 29th and is a significant factor in attracting and maintaining enterprises.
6. Bauchi state
Bauchi State took sixth place with a commendable EoDB score of 6.37. The state excels in infrastructure on the fourth and transparency on the seventh, demonstrating its dedication to delivering critical business resources and information. It also rates well in terms of skills and labor on the eighth, a safe environment on the seventh, and economic prospects on the sixth. It is ranked 13th in the regulatory environment, confirming its reputation as a business-friendly environment.
7. Anambra state
Anambra State took seventh place with a solid EoDB score of 6.19. Although the state ranks 22nd in infrastructure and 34th in most secure and stable environment, it excels in transparency and accessibility of information on the 14th, skills and labor on the 20th, regulatory environment on the 19th, and economic potential on the 24th. This highlights Anambra’s capabilities in disseminating information and building a business-friendly regulatory environment, even if there is space for improvement in other areas.
8. Kaduna state
Kaduna State took eighth place with an excellent EoDB score of 6.18. The state ranks highly in several categories, including infrastructure, transparency and accessibility to information (8th), regulatory environment (7th), and economic potential (8th). Kaduna also excels in skills and labor (14th) and maintaining a secure and stable environment (14th), highlighting its potential as a business-friendly destination.
9. Yobe state
Yobe State finished ninth with an EoDB score of 6.15. The state outperforms in several crucial areas, most notably infrastructure and economic opportunities. Yobe also ranks highly in transparency and accessibility of information (number 9), skills and labor (number 4), and keeping a secure and stable environment (number 4). Its total record demonstrates a strong commitment to cultivating a favourable climate for corporate growth, while it maintains a solid eighth-place standing in the regulatory environment.
10. Plateau State
Plateau State takes tenth place with a respectable EoDB score of 5.87. The state ranks 17th in infrastructure, 20th in openness and information accessibility, and 10th in regulatory environment. Another noticeable strength is its 13th-place rating in skills and labor. While there is space for improvement in the secure and stable environment, which ranks 33rd, and economic potential, which ranks 20th, Plateau’s total performance warrants inclusion in the top ten states for ease of doing business.
