Businesses can now monitor proposed legislation that could affect their operations and investment decisions through a digital platform launched by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

The Business Bill Intelligence Portal is designed to help businesses identify relevant bills before the National Assembly, track their progress and prepare for potential changes to the regulatory and business environment.

Developed by the Ernest Shonekan Centre for Legislative Reforms and Economic Development (ESC), the portal was unveiled at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, which had the theme, “Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity.”

Proposed laws can affect how businesses operate, the markets they can access, the regulations they must comply with and the cost of running their operations. However, tracking bills through the legislative process can be difficult for businesses seeking to anticipate policy changes and contribute to discussions on proposed reforms.

The portal provides search and filtering tools to help users identify bills relevant to their interests and follow their progress through the legislature.

Its dashboard groups bills according to their stage in the legislative process, while individual pages provide details of each bill’s status, latest recorded action and legislative history.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of the ESC, Kyari Bukar, said the initiative was intended to improve public participation in legislative reforms and ensure that lawmaking reflected Nigeria’s economic development priorities.

He said the centre was working to promote legislation that improves the business environment, encourages investment and expands economic opportunities without compromising the public interest.

ESC’s Executive Director, Uchenna Ogbonna, said the portal was developed for a broad range of users, including businesses, citizens, civil society organisations, journalists, researchers, government agencies, legislators and National Assembly staff.

He explained that businesses could use the platform to follow proposed laws affecting their industries, while citizens could monitor legislation with implications for their daily lives. Legislators and researchers could also access the information to support their work.

The launch builds on the NESG’s efforts to strengthen engagement between the private sector and lawmakers on reforms affecting the business environment.

(The Guardian)