By Gideon Maxwell
October 23, 2024
In a significant move ahead of an anticipated cabinet reshuffle, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) have announced the scrapping of two key ministries and the establishment of a new one, along with several mergers.
The FEC has decided to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Ministry of Sports Development.
This decision is part of a broader effort to streamline government functions and reduce the cost of governance.
A new Ministry of Regional Development has been established to oversee all regional development commissions in the country.
These include the Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.
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The responsibilities previously held by the Ministry of Sports Development will now be transferred to the National Sports Commission, which will take over all sports-related activities in Nigeria.
The FEC also approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, creating a single entity to handle these related functions.
These changes come as President Tinubu prepares for a cabinet reshuffle, which will be based on the performance of ministers.
The President has been facing pressure to address underperformance within his cabinet, and the reshuffle will be guided by empirical evidence from performance reports.
The decisions were finalized during the FEC meeting held in Abuja, setting the stage for further structural adjustments in the federal government.
This move is seen as a precursor to a more comprehensive overhaul of the cabinet, aimed at enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in governance.