In a recent development, President Bola Tinubu ordered the full implementation of the Oronsaye Report, a document that contains recommendations for restructuring and rationalising the Federal Government’s agencies, parastatals, and commissions.
The report, which was produced by a presidential committee headed by Stephen Oronsaye in 2012, aimed to reduce the cost of governance and improve efficiency.
The report highlighted the existence of 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions, and agencies, both statutory and non-statutory, at the time it was prepared. It recommended the reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, scrapping 38 agencies, merging 52, and reverting 14 to departments in different ministries.
Some of the notable recommendations of the report include:
Merging of Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) to be called Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission (PEICC).
Fusing of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and National Commission for Refugees (NCF) to be called the National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission (NERMC).
Merging of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and the Voice of Nigeria (VON) under one management called the Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria (FBCN).
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is to become a department in the Nigeria Police Force.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are to be merged.
The Universal Basic Education Commission, Nomadic Education Commission, and National Mass Literacy Commission are to be brought under one body.
The report also proposed a management audit of 89 agencies, capturing biometric features of staff as well as the discontinuation of government funding for professional bodies/councils.
The report estimated that if its recommendations were implemented, the government would save over N862 billion between 2012 and 2015. However, most of its proposals were rejected or not implemented by previous administrations.
Most proposals from the Oronsaye Report were likely rejected or not implemented by previous administrations due to political interests conflicting with reform objectives, bureaucratic resistance within government agencies, and the lack of resources necessary for restructuring.
Additionally, legal and regulatory challenges, institutional inertia, and insufficient stakeholder engagement may have contributed to the failure to enact comprehensive reforms.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that the decision to implement the report was part of the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and progress.
He said that the government was aware of the challenges faced by Nigerians in the short term but assured them of the long-term benefits of the reforms.
The Oronsaye Report is expected to have a significant impact on the structure and functions of several government agencies and their staff. It is also expected to enhance the performance and productivity of the public service and foster a conducive environment for growth and development.
