NewsNigeriaPoliticsTinubu approves merging, scrapping duplicate agencies to cut cost of governance

The Nigerian government has approved a plan to restructure several government agencies, in what is viewed as a much-anticipated cost of governance reduction measure.

The decision was made at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Monday and followed recommendations from the 2012 Stephen Oronsaye Panel report.

The 800-page report recommended the scrapping or merger of some 263 of 541 government agencies and parastatals to avoid overlaps and duplicity of agencies, and streamline operations.

Nigeria’s Information Minister Mohammed Idris told local press that the plan would see more than 20 agencies either subsumed under existing ministries or scrapped.

“Recall that in 2012, the administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan instituted the so-called Oronsaye Report. It is aimed at rationalising the federal government parastatals, agencies, and commissions,” Idris said.

“Now, a paper was turned in in 2012, but the implementation got stalled. Again, in 2021, almost seven years after that, former President Muhammadu Buhari also initiated a process to consider the 2014 white paper on the Oronsaye Report.”

“Again, the implementation of that also got stalled. Now, instead of the rationalisation, that the Oronsaye Report was aimed to achieve, many other agencies and commissions were established.”

“So in a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigerians, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report.”

Idris explained the implication of the decision to implement the report, saying, “Now, what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions, and some departments have actually been scrapped, some have been merged, while others have been subsumed. Others, of course, have also been moved from some ministries to others where the government feels they will operate better.”

President Bola Tinubu has already set up a committee with the mandate to execute the fusions, scrapings, and relocations within 12 weeks.

The committee comprises the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Head of the Civil Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan; Attorney General and Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; DG Bureau of Public Service Reform, Dasuki Arabi; Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; and Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters. The Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.

Some of the key recommendations for implementation, according to Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy include:

– National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission to be subsumed under the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the constitution.

– Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission to be merged with the Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission.

– Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Projects Development Institute (PRODA).

– National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity that will be known as the National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Gallery of Arts.

– National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.

– Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Federal Radio Corporation and Voice of Nigeria to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria.

– National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission.

– Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

– National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become the National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission.

– Border Communities Development Agency to become a department under the National Boundary Commission.

– National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to be merged.

– SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform (BPSR).

– National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

– National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be merged into an agency to be known as the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA).

– National Institute for Leather Science Technology and National Institute for Chemical Technology to become one agency.

– Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development to become one agency.

– The National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute will be merged.

– National Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed under the Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos.