Tinubu Empowers Ministers Of State With Full Oversight Of Agencies

Abuja, Nigeria – In a significant move aimed at streamlining governance, President Bola Tinubu has granted Ministers of State full oversight responsibilities over agencies under their purview.

This new directive, announced at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, marks a departure from the previous system where Ministers of State had limited authority.

Under the previous framework, files related to agencies under their supervision were sent to the senior ministers by the permanent secretaries.

However, President Tinubu deemed this structure ineffective, leading to the “underutilisation” of the skills and expertise of Ministers of State.

“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” a source within the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation revealed.

This initiative, reportedly sparked by the suggestion of Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, aims to “unleash the potential” of all ministers.

The new directive applies to several key Ministries, including Defence, Water Resources and Sanitation, and Agriculture.

With this change, Ministers of State such as Dr Matawalle (Defence) and the Minister of State for Agriculture will now have the authority to grant administrative approvals and oversee the governance of their respective agencies.

This move is expected to foster greater accountability and efficiency within the government, as it empowers Ministers of State to play a more active and impactful role in the administration of their respective sectors.