Kogi State is ramping up efforts to implement reforms under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER), a $750 million initiative supported by the World Bank, as part of a broader move to improve the ease of doing business across Nigeria’s 36 states.
This commitment was made known during a one-day strategic technical session and state-wide town hall meeting held in Lokoja on Friday. The event was organized in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
Speaking on behalf of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Chief Economic Adviser and Kogi State SABER Focal Person, Aliyu Inda Salami, noted that the SABER programme aims to foster a more business-friendly environment and strengthen the state’s investment readiness.
In a statement released by the Government House Media Team on Sunday, the governor outlined ongoing reform efforts in areas such as land administration, commerce, agriculture, investment promotion, and legal support systems to ease business access to credit.
He described the forum as a crucial moment to evaluate current progress and enhance cooperation among implementing agencies in order to unlock key development funding from both domestic and international sources.
On her part, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, Director General of PEBEC, praised the state government’s commitment to the reform agenda, urging officials to push harder to meet all set benchmarks.
She revealed that Kogi State has so far fulfilled four out of the twelve required reform milestones under the SABER programme. However, she pointed out that the one-year extension granted to the initiative offers a valuable chance for the state to scale up its performance.
Among the priority areas she outlined are the establishment of an operational grievance redress system, issuance of an executive order to ensure coordination among five critical MDAs, the setup of small claims courts, and the regular publication of monthly business data.
She emphasized that access to SABER funding is performance-driven, and disclosed that only $70.9 million out of the total $750 million has been disbursed nationwide—largely due to slow progress by many states in meeting the set milestones.
Reaffirming her support, Princess Zahrah pledged technical assistance and close collaboration with Kogi’s focal team to help the state achieve its reform goals.
She described Kogi as a state with abundant human and natural resources, noting that with sustained reforms, it could position itself as a top investment hub in Nigeria’s North Central region.
