(DDM) – A new federal compliance audit has exposed a sweeping breakdown across Nigeria’s public service, revealing that dozens of key government institutions are now classified as structurally failing and barely functioning.
The damning findings were released in the January–October 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Ranking conducted by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, and obtained by Diaspora Digital Media DDM and other outlets on Sunday.
The report shows that more than half of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies assessed failed to meet the minimum 50 percent benchmark required by the BFA Act.
The audit further warns that 30 federal institutions have deteriorated to the point of being officially labelled “structurally non-compliant and operationally failing.”
The findings confirm the daily frustrations Nigerians endure: endless queues, opaque processes, multiple payment points, institutional arrogance, and a total collapse of accountability.
Only five MDAs managed to score above 80 percent in the compliance ranking.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board placed highest with 90.6 percent.
The NDLEA followed with 89.3 percent.
The Nigeria Customs Service scored 86.6 percent.
The Nigerian Communications Commission recorded 85.3 percent.
The Nigerian Ports Authority scored 84.2 percent.
Beyond these top performers, governance quality collapses dramatically.
The ranking paints a grim portrait of institutional decay, revealing what analysts describe as a “governance graveyard” across critical sectors.
At the bottom of the list is the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, scoring just 12.7 percent.
The Joint Tax Board followed with 14.8 percent.
The National Bureau of Statistics managed only 14.9 percent.
The Federal Produce Inspection Service scored 16.0 percent.
NIPOST and the Ministry of Interior recorded 17.1 and 19.5 percent respectively, signalling systemic collapse in national service delivery.
Other low-performing agencies include the Trademarks Registry at 22.3 percent.
The Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority at 22.9 percent.
The Bank of Industry at 24.1 percent.
NESREA at 24.6 percent.
The Securities and Exchange Commission at 28.9 percent.
And the Industrial Training Fund at 30.8 percent.
Even more alarming are the institutions critical to the nation’s economy that are now sinking deeper into dysfunction.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission recorded 44 percent.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission scored 45.1 percent.
NEXIM Bank recorded 46.9 percent.
NAMA posted 48.8 percent.
NIMASA managed only 42.4 percent despite its maritime security mandate.
The audit concludes that these agencies, which control multi-billion-dollar sectors, operate with “broken systems, slow approvals, opaque channels, and institutional complacency.”
The Business Facilitation Act 2022, introduced as a cure for bureaucratic chaos, is widely ignored in many MDAs.
The worst-performing institutions failed across digital integration.
Public service disclosure.
Complaints and appeal handling.
Data transparency.
Service timelines.
And compliance reporting.
DDM gathered that many agencies still rely entirely on paper files with no digital traceability and no service windows.
Citizens are left stranded without feedback mechanisms.
Despite billions allocated to digital transformation, the audit notes that identity management, passport processing, and public data systems remain the most chaotic interfaces in Nigeria.
Experts warn that unless urgent reforms begin immediately, the collapse of these institutions will continue to sabotage investment, security management, revenue collection and national development.