Nigerian Government Announces Comprehensive Overhaul of Agencies and Commissions

The Nigerian Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently convened to enact significant reforms aimed at restructuring various government agencies and commissions. This comprehensive overhaul seeks to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and reduce governance costs. Here’s an exhaustive breakdown of the proposed changes:

Agencies to be Scrapped:

1. Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) – Functions to be transferred to the Federal Ministry of Finance.
2. National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) – Responsibilities to be integrated into the department of Basic and Secondary Education within the Federal Ministry of Education.

Agencies to be Merged:

1. National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) to be merged under the Centre for Disease Control in the Federal Ministry of Health.
2. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to be merged with National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons [NCFRMI].
3. Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) to be merged with Directorate of Technical Aid (DTAC) and to function as a department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to be merged with Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE).
5. Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) to be merged with Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
6. National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to be merged with National Centre for Agriculture Mechanization (NCAM) and Project Development Institute (PRODA).
7. National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) to be merged with National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB).
8. National Institute for Leather Science Technology (NILEST) to be merged with National Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT).
9. The Nomadic Education Commission (NEC) to be merged with the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult Education and Non Formal Education.
10. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) to be merged with Voice of Nigeria (VON).
11. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments to be merged with the National Gallery of Arts.
12. The National Theatre to be merged with the National Troupe of Nigeria.
13. The National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC) to be merged with National Metallurgical Training Institute (NMTI).
14. Nigerian Army University (NAUB) to be merged with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
15. Airforce Institute of Technology (AFIT) to be merged Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Agencies to be Subsumed:

1. Service Compact with all Nigerians (SERVICOM) to be subsumed to function as a department under Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR).
2. Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to be subsumed to function as a department under the National Boundary Commission (NBC).
3. National Salaries, Income and Wages Commissioned (NSIWC) to be subsumed into Revenue Mobilization & Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).
4. Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution to be subsumed under Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
5. Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to be subsumed under National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
6. Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis (NITR) to be subsumed into Institute of Veterinary Research (VOM).
7. Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) to be subsumed under the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD).
8. National Intelligence Agency Pension Commission to be subsumed under the administration of Nigerian Pension Commission (PenCom).
9. The Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to be subsumed as a department in the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.

Agencies to be Relocated:

1. Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDHC) – Relocation to the Ministry of Power for better alignment with sector priorities.
2. National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA) – Planned relocation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to enhance agricultural development initiatives.
3. National Blood Service Commission – Conversion into an Agency and relocation to the Federal Ministry of Health to optimize healthcare service delivery.
4. Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) – Transformation into an Agency and transfer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to streamline diaspora engagement efforts.

These sweeping reforms underscore the government’s commitment to fostering efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance, ultimately aiming to drive national development and prosperity.