Policy on pause: Can Nigeria finally get regulation right?
By Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi
In a rare but telling move, the Federal Government has instructed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to halt the rollout of new policies until they comply with a structured framework known as Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA). At first glance, this may seem like a bureaucratic slowdown but in reality, it is something far more significant: an attempt to fix one of Nigeria’s most persistent and costly problems: unpredictable policymaking.
Issued through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the directive signals a shift toward discipline, coherence, and evidence in how policies are designed and implemented.
The question, however, is whether this will mark a true turning point or become another well-intentioned reform that struggles in practice.
For years, Nigeria’s business environment has been shaped not just by regulation but by regulatory inconsistency. Policies are introduced abruptly, rules change without warning and implementation often contradicts initial intent. For businesses and investors, this creates a climate of uncertainty that is far more damaging than strict regulation itself because markets can adapt to tough rules but they struggle with unpredictable ones. This is the gap the RIA framework is designed to address.
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Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) is a structured way of asking a simple but powerful question: “What will this policy actually do before we implement it?” At its core, RIA requires government agencies to rigorously assess proposed policies before they are introduced. This includes:
1. Problem Definition: Clearly identifying the issue the policy is trying to solve.
2. Policy Options: Evaluating multiple ways to address the problem, not just a single preferred approach.
3. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Assessing the economic, social, and environmental impact of each option: What will it cost businesses? What are the benefits to citizens? Who gains and who loses?
4. Stakeholder Engagement: Consulting those who will be affected, businesses, civil society, and the public before decisions are made.
5. Implementation and Risk Assessment: Understanding how the policy will be executed, what could go wrong, and how to mitigate those risks.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Setting clear metrics to track whether the policy is working and adjusting if it is not. In essence, RIA transforms policymaking from reaction to strategy.
Nigeria has experienced too many “policy shocks” sudden decisions that ripple across industries with little warning or preparation. From currency changes to sector-specific regulations, the pattern has often been the same: urgency over analysis. The RIA framework seeks to reverse this by requiring MDAs to justify their policies with data, align with broader government priorities, and engage stakeholders early. It introduces a level of predictability that has long been missing.
Pausing new policies could slow down urgent reforms especially in sectors that already suffer from regulatory gap but Nigeria cannot afford paralysis.
The success of this directive will depend on execution: Are MDAs equipped with the technical capacity to conduct proper RIA? Will there be clear timelines to avoid indefinite delays? Will the process be enforced consistently across agencies?
Without these, the policy risks becoming another layer of bureaucracy rather than a tool for better governance. If implemented effectively, RIA could do more than just improve individual policies. It could reshape Nigeria’s governance culture, reduce policy reversals, improve coordination across government, build trust between the public and institutions, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as an investment destination.
Most importantly, it could shift the mindset of governance from “announce and adjust” to “analyze and implement.” The danger now is that MDAs treat RIA as a checklist, something to complete, rather than something to internalize but RIA is not about compliance, it is about thinking better before acting. It is about recognizing that policies do not exist in isolation, they affect livelihoods, markets, and national outcomes.
Nigeria has long struggled with the consequences of poorly designed or hastily implemented policies. If MDAs embrace RIA as a tool for better decision-making, Nigeria could finally begin to build a regulatory environment that is stable, predictable, and growth-oriented. If not, the pause we see today may simply delay the same problems tomorrow because in the end, the goal is not fewer policies, it is to have better ones.
- Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi, CEO of Do Take Action, is an independent consultant on edtech, climate change, public policy, and women’s procurement empowerment
