The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has launched a digital platform to help businesses track proposed legislation before the National
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has launched a digital platform to help businesses track proposed legislation before the National Assembly and assess its implications for investment, operations and the cost of doing business.
The Business Bill Intelligence Portal, developed by the Ernest Shonekan Centre for Legislative Reforms and Economic Development (ESC), provides access to information on bills relevant to different sectors.
The portal was launched at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, themed “Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity”.
Proposed legislation can affect regulatory requirements, market access, investment decisions and business costs.
However, businesses seeking to anticipate policy changes and participate in the legislative process may find it difficult to identify relevant bills and track their progress.
The platform lets users search for bills, apply filters, and monitor their progress through different legislative stages.
It also features a dashboard showing bills by legislative stage, while individual bill pages provide information on their status, latest recorded action and legislative history.
Speaking at the launch, Kyari Bukar, chairman of the ESC, said the initiative would strengthen participation in legislative reforms and align lawmaking with Nigeria’s economic development priorities.
“Laws and proposed legislation can have significant implications for businesses, investment and economic growth,” Bukar said.
He added that the Centre aimed to promote laws that improve the business environment, encourage investment and create opportunities while protecting the public interest.
The initiative builds on the NESG’s engagement with the legislature through the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), established in 2016 to facilitate dialogue between lawmakers and the private sector on legislative reforms.
The NESG subsequently supported the establishment of the State Assemblies Business Environment Roundtable (SABER), extending the engagement to state legislatures.
Established in 2023, the ESC focuses on research, advocacy and legislative reforms to support economic development.
The portal provides a platform for stakeholders to monitor proposed laws and participate in discussions on legislation affecting the business environment.
Uchenna Ogbonna, executive director of the ESC, said the portal was designed for businesses, citizens, civil society organisations, journalists, researchers, government agencies, legislators and National Assembly staff.
He said businesses could use the platform to track proposals affecting their industries, while citizens could monitor bills that may affect them. Legislators and researchers could also use the information in their work.
Related News