The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has retained its top ranking in business efficiency and transparency among ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as captured in the latest evaluative assessment by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

In the ‘2024 Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report (January 2024-June 2024),’ released on Tuesday in Abuja by PEBEC, the Board scored 71.6 percent in Efficiency Compliance and 100 percent in Transparency Assessment, to emerge with an Overall BFA Performance score of 80.1 percent.

The Overall Business Facilitation Act Performance of MDAs, as explained by PEBEC, is assessed “using an efficiency and transparency scale weighted at 70 percent and 30 percent, 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.

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.”

A total of 40 MDAs, categorised 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.