In the wake of the submission of the first batch of ministerial nominees to the Senate, President Bola Tinubu is making strategic moves to restructure several federal government ministries.
This restructuring plan aims to merge some ministries, create new ones, and possibly eliminate a few, in line with the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye report on civil service restructuring.
According to reliable sources cited by Punch, President Tinubu is keen on implementing some of the recommendations put forth in the Oronsaye report.
Ministries such as Education, Youths and Sports Development, Agricultural and Rural Development, Solid Minerals, Works and Housing, Power, and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development are currently under consideration for restructuring.
This move will also lead to the establishment of new ministries.Among the changes planned is the division of the Ministry of Education into two separate entities: the Ministry of Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Basic Education.
The former will oversee tertiary education, while the latter will focus on primary and secondary education.
Civil service insiders revealed that this decision aims to improve the quality of service delivery in both sectors.
The Ministry of Works and Housing will undergo an unbundling process, resulting in a standalone Ministry of Works, which will concentrate on federal roads and highways. Simultaneously, a revamped Ministry of Housing will be established, with a mission to stimulate economic growth.
Likewise, the Ministry of Humanitarian, Social Development, and Disaster Management will be transformed into the Ministry of Human Development, where social development will be one of its key responsibilities.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation will be split into two distinct ministries: the Ministry of Railways and Rail Transport, and the Ministry of Waterways and Marine Transportation.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Information is set to be renamed as the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
As part of this change, the National Orientation Agency will play a significant role in disseminating information to the public.
Additional new ministries will include Solid Minerals and Iron and Steel Development.
In a bid to optimize operations, the Ministry of Budgeting and National Planning will undergo a restructuring process.
Budgeting will be integrated into the Ministry of Finance, while National Planning will find its place in the newly-formed Ministry of Statistics.
Similarly, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will see revisions, with the commerce component moving to the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and the industry component transferring to the newly-established Ministry of Employment and Industry.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, hinted at these proposed changes during a recent interaction with journalists.
However, the fate of some ministries and agencies mentioned in the Oronsaye report remains uncertain.
Despite this uncertainty, experts anticipate that the restructuring process will be advantageous for certain ministries, streamlining their functions and paving the way for more efficient implementation of government policies.
