Economy
Oronsaye Report: More details emerge over ministries to be scrapped or merged by Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has scrapped the Ministry of Niger Delta and Ministry of Sports in a move towards the actual implementation of the “Oronsaye Report”.
The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a post on his social media handle on Wednesday.
Mr. Onanuga said that the decision was reached during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The post reads: “President Tinubu and Federal Executive Council scrap Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of sports development.
“There will now be a ministry of regional development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, North East Development Commission.”
Onanuga, however, failed to mention the South East Development Commission.
He also said the responsibilities previously held by the Ministry of Sports Development will now be transferred to the National Sports Commission, which will take charge of sports-related activities in Nigeria.
“The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports,” he stated.
Additionally, FEC approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, creating a single entity.
Tinubu’s decisions to scrap and merge the affected ministries followed his earlier decision to implement the Oronsaye Report.
The Oronsaye Report
The Oronsaye Report was a product of a presidential committee set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Committee was mandated to restructure and rationalize federal government parastatals, commissions, and agencies.
Its mandate included reviewing previous reports on restructuring and examining enabling Acts of agencies.
It also proffered advice on restructuring, merging, or scrapping of certain ministries, parastatals, and agencies.
The goal was to eliminate overlaps and redundancies, streamline operations and optimize resources.
Upon completion of its task, the 800-page report recommended a reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, aimed at cutting cost of governance and enhancing efficiency.
It proposed the abolishing of 38 agencies, merging of 52, and reverting of 14 to departments in certain ministries.
It also suggested changes in the status of the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The report further made recommendations for infrastructure investment and economic diversification and suggested alternatives to cost of governance.
It, however, met fierce opposition when it proposed the abolition of the Federal Character Commission and made recommendations related to the National Youth Service Scheme.
While the Federal Government accepted certain recommendations, about 90% of the proposals were rejected.
Despite commendable aspects of the report, challenges in implementation and potential resistance from career civil servants, the National Assembly, and politicians arose.
Tinubu orders implementation of the report
On Feb 26, 2024, Tinubu ordered a holistic implementation of Oronsaye Report.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told State House Correspondents after a weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, that the move was part of the administration’s effort to rejig and cut down the overbloated system.
The president also ordered the merging, subsuming, scraping and relocation of government agencies affected by the report.
“So in a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu… has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report,” Idris said.
The federal government declared its intention to scrap 13 government agencies after the restructuring and merging.
Affected agencies
These agencies affected by the Oronsaye Report are:
- National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
- The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the 1999 constitution.
- Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and be changed as Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission.
- National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to swallow Public Complaints Commission (PCC).
- Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance.
- NEMA and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission
- Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to become a department under National Boundary Commission (NBC).
- NACA and NCDC to be merged.
- SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform (BPSR).
- NALDA to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
- Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI and PRODA.
- National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity that will be known as National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Gallery of Arts.
Other affected agencies
These agencies affected by the Oronsaye Report are:
- National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.
- Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corps to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON) to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria.
- National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be emerged into an agency to be known as 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 Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos, Plateau State.
Tinubu inaugurates committee to implement Oronsaye report
On Mar 8, 2024, Tinubu inaugurated an 11-member committee to implement the approved recommendations of the Oronsaye report.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, was a member of the committee.
Other members are Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan; and Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination.
The rest include Dr Dasuki Arabi, Director-General Bureau of Public Service Reform; Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar-Gumel, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate); and Ibrahim Olarenwaju, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (House of Representatives).
Also on the committee are Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Principal Secretary to the President, and Richard P. Pheelangwa, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office.
Tinubu explained that the implementation of the White Paper on the Oronsaye Report would involve the merger, relocation, subsuming or scrapping of some of the parastatals, agencies, and commissions.
He said that the exercise was meant to reduce cost of governance and streamline efficiency across the value chain.
Cost of governance
The average cost of governance by the Nigerian government is ranked among the highest globally.
Tinubu’s government touted itself in readiness to reduce cost of governance, given the current economic challenges.
However, it attracted heavy criticism to itself when the president unveiled 48 ministers, far larger than his predecessors’.
With the latest move, much are left to be seen to what extent he will go to implement the Oronsaye Report.
About Stephen Oronsaye
Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye is a notable Nigerian accountant and civil servant.
Born on November 16, 1950, in Lagos, he has had a distinguished career in public service.
Oronsaye was appointed as the Head of the Nigerian Civil Service in June 2009.
He, thence, initiated several reform programs aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service.
One of his significant contributions was the Oronsaye Report.
The report recommended the restructuring and rationalization of federal agencies to reduce the cost of governance and enhance efficiency.
This report has been revisited by various administrations, including the current one under President Bola Tinubu.
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