FG warns MDAs against poor performance, intensifies accountability drive

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to hold Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) accountable for their performance, warning that government institutions must deliver measurable results and improved services to Nigerians and businesses.

The Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, gave the indication at the MDA High-Level Strategic Engagement and Press Briefing organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, with the theme, “MDA Data Collection and Harmonisation.”

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Audu, who presented findings from the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA), highlighted improvements recorded by federal MDAs, while drawing attention to persistent performance gaps and the need to sustain accountability beyond periodic assessments.

The assessment showed that 16 MDAs had achieved full implementation of the reforms evaluated. However, recent mystery shopping exercises revealed a decline in responsiveness after active monitoring ended, raising concerns about the sustainability of compliance across government institutions.

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She said the findings underscored the need for MDAs to move beyond meeting reform requirements during monitoring exercises to consistently delivering efficient and responsive services.

Addressing heads of MDAs at the engagement, the PEBEC director-general reminded them that mystery shopping exercises were ongoing, while a live performance tracker and the end-of-year Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Ranking would provide further assessments of their performance.

According to her, the monitoring mechanisms are designed to provide continuous visibility into the performance of government agencies, identify service delivery gaps and ensure that institutions remain accountable for their reform commitments throughout the year.

She emphasised that performance monitoring was continuous and compliance measurable, urging MDAs to be prepared to account for their results.

The engagement also highlighted the Federal Ministry of Finance’s growing emphasis on institutional performance, with the ministry expected to consider the responsiveness, performance and reform compliance of government agencies in its engagements and dealings with them.

The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s position that non-performance will not be tolerated across government institutions, as the administration seeks to strengthen efficiency and ensure that public resources translate into improved services for citizens and businesses.

PEBEC said it would continue to deploy mystery shopping exercises, real-time digital tracking, BFA compliance assessments and data-driven monitoring to promote transparency, identify implementation gaps and support MDAs in improving service delivery.

The council stressed that government agencies must move away from compliance on paper to demonstrable results, sustained accountability and measurable improvements in the delivery of public services.

It reaffirmed its commitment to working with government institutions to build a more efficient, transparent and responsive public sector capable of creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

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