‘NCDMB remains most efficient, transparent MDA’
- Scores 100% in PEBEC,s transparency assessment
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Federal government has again taken full pride in the systems and processes that drive regulatory activities at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in the latest evaluative assessment, awarded the NCDMB top ranking in business efficiency and transparency among ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs.
In its Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report covering the first six months from January to June 2024, the PEBEC awarded NCDMB 71.6 per cent in Efficiency Compliance and 100 per cent in Transparency Assessment.
With the scores which were released on Tuesday in Abuja by PEBEC, the Board emerged with an Overall BFA Performance score of 80.1 per cent to retain its position as most efficient and transparent public service agency in the country.
The Overall Business Facilitation Act Performance of MDAs, as explained by PEBEC, is assessed “using an efficiency and transparency scale weighted at 70 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.”
With the latest Report, NCDMB has retained the top ranking for 30 consecutive months, having first secured the coveted position in the January 2022-June 2022 review period and subsequently in the second half of that year and the 12 months of 2023.
A total of 40 MDAs, categorized as ‘PEBEC Priority MDAs,’ were covered in the ‘2024 Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report.’
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), which scored 78.2%, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) 74.8%, were second and third, respectively, in the ranking.
Under the Efficiency Compliance Ranking, PEBEC focuses its evaluation on “adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), cost management, procedural efficiency, One Government directive, and instances of Default Approval as provided in the Business Facilitation Act, 2022.”
For Transparency Ranking, the focus is on “how effectively MDAs…make essential information accessible to the public,” with particular emphasis on “clarity and completeness of published details on service level agreements, operating procedures, eligibility requirements, timelines and fees.”
In a year-on-year overview, PEBEC noted with satisfaction that “The MDAs have made progress in adhering to service level agreements and advancing digitization efforts,” even though “bureaucratic challenges and issues with consequence management persist.”
The Council states further that “The outlook for efficient public service delivery remains positive, given this administration’s commitment to creating a conducive environment,” and that “There has been significant improvement in the overall rankings, with over 60% of MDAs now scoring above average, compared to the previous report above-average scores.”
