FEC Approves Merging and Subsuming of MDAs to Streamline Governance

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given its approval for the consolidation, elimination, and absorption of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the government. This move aligns with the government’s strategy to reduce governance costs.

Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, announced these decisions following the second FEC meeting of the year. The decision was influenced by the Steve Oronsaye Report on Civil Service reform initiated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

For the merging of agencies, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is set to merge with the Voice of Nigeria. The National Commission for Museum and Monuments will merge with the National Gallery of Arts, and the National Theatre will merge with the National Troupe of Nigeria. Additionally, the National Meteorological Development Centre will merge with the National Meteorological Training Institute.

Other mergers include the National Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA) with the Centre for Disease Control in the Federal Ministry of Health, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with the National Commission for Refugee Migration and Internally Displaced Persons.

Furthermore, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa will merge with the Directorate of Technical Aid to function as a Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission will merge with the Bureau for Public Enterprises, and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission will merge with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

The Special Adviser also revealed that the National Biotechnology Development Agency will merge with the National Centre for Genetic Resource and Biotechnology, while the National Institute for Leather Science Technology will merge with the National Institute for Chemical Technology.

Regarding agencies to be subsumed, the Service Compact with Nigeria (SERVICOM) will function as a department under the Bureau of Public Service Reform. The border Communities Development Agency will operate as a department under the National Boundary Commission, and the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission will be subsumed into the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

Additionally, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution will be subsumed under the Institute for International Affairs, and the Public Complaints Commission will be subsumed under the National Human Rights Commission.

The President has established a committee to oversee the restructuring and legislative amendments required for the full implementation of these decisions within a 12-week period.

Vanguard News