Some ministries do not meet the country’s needs and priorities, and may have overlapping responsibilities
As President Bola Tinubu takes over the affairs of Nigeria, we expect to see many changes in the style and structure of his cabinet, in contrast to that of Muhammadu Buhari, the previous president of Nigeria.
Currently, Nigeria has been said to be on autopilot to economic damnation and many policies (such as fuel subsidy removal) are being implemented to help redirect the future of Nigeria. However, perhaps a closer look into other expenditures of the government can further help mitigate the government’s cost.
On this note, it has been observed that some ministries do not meet the country’s needs and priorities, and may have overlapping responsibilities; hence, their existence is unnecessary.
1. Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs:
This Ministry’s responsibilities often include coordinating relationships between different levels of government, facilitating intergovernmental collaboration, and promoting integration. Some argue that these functions can be adequately managed through existing structures, such as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
2. Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs:
While the Niger Delta region in Nigeria faces unique challenges due to its oil-rich resources, it can be argued that a separate ministry dedicated solely to this region might not be necessary, especially with the existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The responsibilities of addressing the environmental issues could be integrated into existing ministries such as the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources or the NDDC.
3. Ministry of Police Affairs:
There have been debates about whether a separate ministry is required for police affairs since the primary responsibility of law enforcement typically lies with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). Police affairs can be adequately managed within the Ministry of Interior, which is currently mostly heard of when announcing public holidays; they could use some extra work.
4. Ministry of Aviation:
While Nigeria has a growing-amidst-chaos aviation industry, the necessity of a standalone ministry for aviation is a matter of debate. In some countries, the aviation sector falls under the jurisdiction of the transportation ministry. Aviation was under the Minister of Transportation during Buhari’s first term before he made it a standalone when he started his second term. It’s time for it to return.
5. Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy:
The functions of this ministry were initially telecommunications and postal services, till former president, Muhammadu Buhari, included ‘Digital Economy’; hence further complicating functions. Merging this very effective new function with the Ministry of Science and Technology will help streamline governance. Merging the ‘Communications’ function with the Ministry of Information and Culture will foster better coordination and utilisation of resources. This consolidation would promote synergy, eliminate redundancy, and foster a more efficient approach to addressing Nigeria’s communication, digital and technological needs.
Just yesterday the chief whip of. the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu advised the President to scrap out one of the ministeries above, indicating that this may be an ongoing conversation among lawmakers.
