The Nigerian government has approved the implementation of recommendations to reduce the cost of governance by merging 29 government agencies, while eight parastatals will be incorporated into eight other agencies, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told local media.
"In a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu…has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye report. Now, what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions and some departments have been scrapped. Some have been merged, while others have been subsumed," the minister said.
The agencies covered by the reform included health care, emergency services, culture, education, energy, agriculture and others.
The minister allayed fears of massive job losses, saying that employees would be accommodated in the new structures.
"It is important to note that the fact that the Oronsanye report has been approved and adopted by council today does not mean that people will lose their jobs. All those who are employed, whether they have been moved, subsumed or scrapped will find accommodation with that with within relevant government agencies. Nobody is going to lose his job as a result of that," Idris pointed out.
Local media have estimated that the Nigerian government could save more than 241 billion naira ($153 million) if the plan is successfully implemented.
The minister attributed the need for reform to the fact that some agencies perform similar functions and underlined that there is a formal document to implement a plan for more efficient management.
In 2011, then President Goodluck Jonathan set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, headed by former Head of Civil Service, Stephen Oronsaye.
A year later, the Oraonsaye Report recommended reducing the number of government agencies from 263 to 161, eliminating 38 agencies, merging 52, and transferring 14 to departments within various ministries.