If this was indeed DONE, not just announced, I want to commend the government for it. Yes, Nigeria is scrapping/merging many dead/weak agencies and departments, including NTA, FRCN, ICPC, NCDC, NCC, etc. This is the right move and the government should stay the course and conclude it.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has made a bold move to merge, relocate, and scrap several agencies, including FRCN, ICPC, NCDC, NCC, and NTA, among others, aiming to cut the cost of governance and streamline operations. Notable changes include the merging of FRCN and VON, NACA and NCDC, and the relocation of NALDA to FMARD. The Public Complaints Commission has been merged with the NHRC, while BCDA is now a department in NBC.
In Abia State, Governor Otti scrapped 10 ministries, saved enormous amounts of money, and without borrowing for pension debts, paid 10 years of accumulated pensions. Yes, little efficiency here and there could make funds available for important things.
The US federal government has 15 executive departments, each led by a secretary: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Justice, and Veterans Affairs.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 14 (June 3 – Sept 2, 2024) begins registrations; get massive discounts with early registration here.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
In other words, the US has only 15 ministers, and those 15 people run the world’s largest economy. They do not even have a sports ministry, science & tech ministry, and many of the usuals in our land. Those things fall under departments or agencies.
Finally, the government has to invest and retrain anyone who is made redundant as a result of this policy. Give them at least 6 months of professional development training, in partnership with some of the federal universities, and find new areas they could be needed. But if nothing is available, do not force it, as those new skills should help them find new opportunities outside government.
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Jun 3 - Sep 2, 2024), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
We have about 47 ministers running a paltry $253 billion economy, and we are having a conversation about public governance. It does feel like good management is alien to us. How much will be saved from the announced mergers and where will the savings be deployed? Without addressing and monitoring the second arm, our condition might not still improve.
When we improve efficiency in public expenditures, the benefits must be clearly defined, measured and utilized accordingly. It is possible to save N200 billion and still loot the entire thing via bloated contracts, in that case – the people’s standard of living will not improve one bit. Public money must be used for public good, and never about announcing good measures while the actual accruals are still carted away and wasted.
Transparency is a thing, and accountability matters, else you remain a fraud. We do not need dramas anymore, rather substance.