Muhammad Alabira, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government has restated its commitment to building a more investor-friendly economy and improving its Ease of Doing Business ranking as it hosted the 2026 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council Nationwide Sub-National Engagement and Technical Reform Workshop in Dutse.
The workshop held at Mtown Hotel on June 4, the event brought together government officials, private sector operators, development partners, regulators, and investment experts to tackle regulatory bottlenecks and design practical solutions for growth.
Declaring the workshop open, Engineer Aminu Usman Gumel, Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Jigawa State Ease of Doing Business Council, said the state was dissatisfied with its latest business ranking and is driving fresh reforms to close the gaps.
He noted that many reforms under Governor Umar Namadi’s administration were not captured in the last assessment, including the establishment of Small Claims Courts across Jigawa’s emirate councils to resolve commercial disputes quickly for MSMEs.
Gumel stressed that transparent regulations, efficient services, infrastructure, investment security, and access to finance are critical, adding that while government provides policies and infrastructure, businesses create jobs, innovation, and wealth.
In a virtual keynote, PEBEC Director-General Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu delivered goodwill messages from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the council.
She said Nigeria’s economic transformation depends on collaboration across all tiers of government, because investors ultimately choose states, not countries.
Audu urged Jigawa and other states to focus on sectors where they have genuine strengths, remove growth barriers, and build strong digital footprints, noting that most investment decisions now start online.
She called on participants to share actionable recommendations that will shape future policy reforms.
