JUST IN: Tinubu releases fresh list of government agencies

President Bola Tinubu releases the list of government agencies to be scrapped or merged in the new directive.

This information has been released by his Special Adviser Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Recall how Tinubu ordered the full implementation of the 2012 Steve Oronsaye report.⁣

Former President Goodluck Jonathan established the presidential committee on government agency reform in 2011, which was chaired by Steven Oronsaye, the Federation’s former Head of Service.

Its terms of reference had included among other things, reviewing the enabling Acts and mandates of all federal agencies, parastatals, and commissions to identify areas of overlap or duplication of functions.

The committee had recommended reducing 263 statutory agencies to 161, abolishing 38, merging 52, and reverting 14 to departments in ministries. However, a white paper committee led by the-Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke rejected the majority of the recommendations.

In 2021, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated two committees to implement the report. One of the committees, headed by a former Head of Service, Bukar Aji, was mandated to review the Oronsaye Report and the government white paper. The other committee, chaired by Amal Pepple, was mandated to review MDAs created between 2014 and 2021.

Affirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to implement the report In a press statement issued by Onanuga on Monday evening, he listed no fewer than 14 agencies and commissions that were affected by this directive.

According to the statement, the National Salaries, Income and wages Commission is to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.

“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 Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission. National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission.

“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 to become a department under National Boundary Commission. NACA and NCDC to be merged as one entity. 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. National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.

“13. 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 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.”