In a bid to reshape government agencies for efficiency, President Bola Tinubu has directed the implementation of the Oransaye report relating to mergers, scrapping, and relocation.
Notable mergers include the National Agency for Control of AIDS merging with the Center for Disease Control and the Federal Radio Corporation merging with the Voice of Nigeria.
Additionally, agencies like the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission will be subsumed into the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission.
This move, stemming from the 2012 Oransaye report, aims to streamline government operations, reduce costs, and address duplications in functions.
A committee has been constituted to ensure swift implementation, with a 12-week timeline for restructuring and legislative amendments.
The Oransaye Report was conceived and led by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, who headed the Presidential Committee on the Rationalization and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies, which was established during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
While the report was presented during Jonathan’s presidency, it faced resistance and was not fully approved or implemented during his tenure due to its “objective” content.
Subsequent administrations, including that of President Muhammadu Buhari, also did not fully endorse the report.
Despite the potential benefits outlined in the report, the challenges associated with restructuring and bureaucratic resistance hindered its comprehensive adoption and implementation by various administrations prior to this time.
The report, when presented in 2014, outlined a comprehensive set of recommendations to rationalize the numerous federal government parastatals, commissions, and agencies.
The document identified a staggering 541 of such entities, proposing the reduction of the number to a more manageable and efficient 163.
Over the years, advocates of the report have emphasized the need for a leaner and more responsive public service that can effectively address the pressing needs of Nigerians, adding that the implementation of the recommendations would lead to cost savings, improved service delivery, and a more coherent government structure.
Chioma Kalu
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