Based on the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye Panel, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has authorized the complete integration of some parastatals, agencies, and commissions, with the remaining ones to be absorbed, eliminated, or relocated.
The decision was made at the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
Hadiza Bala Usman, the President’s Special Advisor on Policy Coordination, claims that this is consistent with the objective to lower governance costs and improve efficiency throughout the governance value chain.
FEC also received a report from the inter-ministerial panel set up to review the affairs of the National Social Investment Programme.
The Council further approved the immediate restart of the direct payments to 12 million households comprising 60 million Nigerians with key provisos.
Back in 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies with Oronsaye as chairman.
Also in April 16, 2012, the committee submitted an 800-page report identifying, amongst several other things, overlapping agencies, causing wastage in expenditure.
The report shows there were 541 parastatals, commissions and agencies and recommended that 263 of the agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies abolished and 52 merged.
According to Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Advisor to the President on Policy Coordination, this is consistent with the objective to streamline efficiency throughout the governance value chain and lower the cost of government.
