President Bola Tinubu has approved a groundbreaking policy change, empowering Nigeria’s ministers of state with full administrative authority over their respective agencies. This shift allows these ministers to issue crucial approvals and make direct governance decisions, a departure from previous restrictions that limited their administrative control.
Previously, ministers of state faced constraints, as agency files were funneled through their permanent secretaries to senior ministers. This structure often led to what Tinubu described as “underutilisation” of these ministers’ skills. Under the new directive, they now have the autonomy to oversee operations within their assigned portfolios fully.
An official from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation confirmed Tinubu’s dissatisfaction with the former framework, noting, “The president believes ministers of state should be able to make decisions and act decisively within their areas of responsibility.”
The policy recommendation was led by Hadiza Bala Usman, President Tinubu’s special adviser on policy coordination, whose proposal received immediate endorsement. Tinubu’s 48-member cabinet includes 16 ministers of state across critical sectors like agriculture, defense, health, education, petroleum, and foreign affairs, who now stand to contribute more substantially to the administration’s objectives.
This directive is set to “unlock” the potential of all ministers, aligning their capabilities with the administration’s ambitious goals.
