The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has directed ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to suspend the introduction of new policies and regulatory changes to prevent disruptions to businesses.

This was conveyed via a statement by PEBEC’s Director-General, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, yesterday.

The move is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to improve regulatory quality, ensure policy consistency and strengthen the country’s ease of doing business environment.

The council emphasised that the suspension will remain in place until all MDAs fully comply with the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework, which governs evidence-based policymaking across government institutions.

PEBEC said the directive was aimed at ensuring that all government policies are backed by verifiable data and do not negatively impact businesses or investors.

“It is imperative to emphasise that no new reform or policy will be permitted to proceed without being grounded in clear, verifiable evidence. The framework provides the structured mechanism through which such evidence-based decisions can be rigorously developed, assessed and validated.

“This directive is necessary to prevent policy shocks that may adversely affect businesses, investors, and citizens, as well as to eliminate policy inconsistencies and frequent reversals,” Mustapha-Audu said.

She said the government remained committed to working with regulators and did not intend to embarrass any institution.

The RIA Framework introduced in January last year is designed to improve transparency and ensure that policies undergo proper evaluation before implementation.

All MDAs are required to align new policies and amendments with the RIA framework before approval and rollout.

The framework has been circulated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and is available on the PEBEC website.

MDAs are encouraged to seek technical support from the PEBEC Secretariat to ensure proper implementation.
Exceptions to the directive will only be granted in cases of urgent national interest, subject to appropriate approvals, the statement said.

The DG further noted that the framework would help institutionalise evidence-based policymaking, enhance transparency and improve stakeholder confidence in government decisions.