PEBEC Freezes New Government Regulations to Protect Businesses from Policy Shocks

PEBEC orders a freeze on new government policies until MDAs comply with the 2025 Regulatory Impact Analysis Framework to ensure policy consistency.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 7, 2026, 3:47 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Leadership

Mandatory Suspension of Regulatory Changes for MDAs

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has issued a high-level directive to all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately halt the rollout of new policies. This move is designed to stabilize Nigeria’s commercial landscape by preventing abrupt regulatory shifts that often disrupt business operations. The council clarified that this suspension is not permanent but will remain in effect until agencies demonstrate full alignment with the government’s established standards for evidence-based policymaking.

The Role of the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework

The core of this directive lies in the enforcement of the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework, which was officially introduced in January 2025. This framework serves as a structured mechanism to ensure that any new government action is backed by verifiable data and rigorous assessment. PEBEC Director-General Princess Zahrah Mustapha-Audu emphasized that the government will no longer permit "policy shocks" or frequent reversals that erode investor confidence and complicate the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Preventing Policy Inconsistencies and Administrative Reversals

By requiring MDAs to ground their decisions in clear evidence, the Federal Government seeks to eliminate the trend of reactive policymaking. The PEBEC Secretariat noted that the RIA process provides a transparent evaluation of how a proposed rule might affect businesses, investors, and citizens before it is implemented. This proactive approach is intended to strengthen the structural integrity of Nigeria’s regulatory environment, ensuring that once a policy is announced, it remains consistent and predictable for stakeholders.