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SEE List of merged MDAs, scrapped agencies of govt
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the merging, scrapping and subsuming of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Federal Government in line with its policy of reducing cost of governance.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the merging, scrapping and subsuming of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Federal Government in line with its policy of reducing cost of governance.
Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, unveiled some of the merged, subsumed and scrapped MDAs at the end of the FEC meeting on Monday, February 26, 2024.
She said the decision was based on the Steve Oronsaye Report on civil service reforms inaugurated under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
With the new arrangement, the Nigerian Army University in Borno State will be merged with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). The university will now functions as a faculty within the Academy.
Similarly, the Air Force Institute of Technology will also be merged with the Nigerian Defence Academy to function as the faculty of Nigerian Defence Academy.
Also, the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission is to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission.
The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is to be merged with the Voice of Nigeria while the National Commission for Museum and Monuments is to be merged with the National Gallery of Acts.
She said the National Theatre is to be merged with National Troupe of Nigeria while the National Meteorological Development Centre is to be merged with the National Meteorological Training Institute.
National Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA) is to be merged with the Centre for Disease Control in the Federal Ministry of Health while National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is to be merge with the National Commission for Refugee Migration and Internally Displaced Persons.
The Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa will be merged with the Directorate of Technical Aid and to function as a Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission is to be merged with Nigerian Export Promotion Council while the National Agency for Science and Technology and Science and Engineering Infrastructure is to be merged with National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and the Project Development Institute.
The Special Adviser further said that the National Biotechnology Development Agency will be merged with the National Centre for Genetic Resource and Biotechnology.
She said the National Institute for Leather Science Technology will be merged with the National Institute for Chemical Technology while the Nomadic Education Commission will be merged with the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult Education and Non-formal Education.
On the agencies to be subsumed, Bala-Usman said the Service Compact with Nigeria (SERVICOM) will be subsumed to function as a department under the Bureau of Public Service Reform.
She said the Border Communities Development Agency will be subsumed to function as a department under the National Boundary Commission.
National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission is to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the Constitution.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution is to be subsumed under the Institute for International Affairs.
The Public Complaints Commission is to be subsumed under the National Human Rights Commission while the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed into the Institute for Veterinary Research.
The National Medicine Development Agency will be subsumed under the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development while the National Intelligence Agency Pension Commission to be subsumed under the Nigerian Pension Commission.
On the agencies to be relocated, the Presidential aide said the Niger Delta Power Holding Company to be relocated to the Ministry of Power while the National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA) to be relocated to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI, and PRODA
The National Blood Service Commission will be converted into an agency and relocated to the Federal Ministry of Health while the Nigerian Diaspora Commission is to be converted into an agency and to be relocated to the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance.
Bala-Usman said the President had constituted a committee that would work within 12 weeks, to ensure that necessary restructuring and legislative amendments needed to ensure full actualisation of these approvals were granted.
The committee comprises Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Budget and Planning Minister, DG Bureau of Public Service Reform, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Special assistant to the president on National Assembly. The Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has threatened to cut financial support to beneficiary tertiary institutions that fail to meet performance benchmarks or mismanage allocated funds.
The agency said it would de-list such tertiary institutions from its support programmes.
Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Sonny Echono gave the warning at a one-day strategic engagement with heads of institutions, bursars, and heads of procurement of the agency’s beneficiary institutions in Abuja on Monday.
Echono said the policy was not meant to punish, but rather safeguard the credibility and impact of TETFUND interventions.
He said: “Let me be clear, institutions that consistently fail to access, utilise or retire funds appropriately, or that fall short of enrollment and academic performance thresholds, risk being delisted as TETFUND beneficiary institutions.”
He also disclosed the intention of TETFUND to ensure that its resources were directed towards institutions that were committed to high standards of governance, transparency, and accountability.
Echono said the strategic engagement was targeted at addressing recurring challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, improving project execution, and enhancing the quality of education.
A key focus, he said, was the Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) intervention.
He said due to rising costs and incidents of scholars absconding, the foreign component of the TETFUND Scholarship for Academic Staff (TSAS) was suspended as of January 1, 2025 with emphasis now shifted to cost-effective, locally driven training.
Echono said this year’s intervention budget prioritises consolidation, sustainability, and the completion of abandoned projects.
He added: “This engagement is not merely a meeting but a strategic convergence. It is designed to address recurring issues of concern, streamline project implementation, and enhance the overall quality of tertiary education delivery in our nation.
“As we move forward, let us approach today’s discussions with openness, collaboration, and a shared vision to elevate our institutions and the students we serve.
“Together, we can strengthen accountability, drive innovation, and ensure that the legacy of TETFUND remains impactful, equitable and enduring for generations to come.”
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Ribadu emphasised the importance of the meeting for evaluating the implementation and impact of TETFUND – supported projects in higher education institutions.
The NUC chief, who was represented by Dr. Joshua Atah appreciated TETFUND’s vital role in improving infrastructure, research, staff development, and academic quality, stating that without its support, public education would struggle to survive.
Prof. Ribadu acknowledged the adaptability of TETFUND’s policies, such as suspending international scholarships to reallocate resources more effectively.
He urged tertiary institutions to be more responsive and ensure that interventions were relevant and efficiently executed.
Ribadu encouraged judicious and timely use of funds and called for open and constructive dialogue during the engagement.
“This calls for greater responsiveness also on the part of the institutions. This responsiveness also includes the areas of the design and implementation of these interventions to ensure that they remain relevant, impactful, and aligned with the future of education in Nigeria.
“It’s also important that we judiciously utilise these resources, and not just judicious utilisation but also in a timely manner so that we don’t lose the fund,” he said.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked a Nigerian Army base in Marte , the headquarters of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State with casualties
The terrorists attacked the 153 Task Force Battalion’s Forward Operation Base (FOab) at around 3am on Monday, according to the locals and security sources.
They said the terrorists also burnt armoured tanks and seized arms and ammunition from the base during the attack.
“ISWAP has taken over Marte. An unspecified number of soldiers were killed, some captured, and many others fled towards Dikwa.
“They are currently at the 24 Task Force Brigade in Dikwa,” a source said.
Recent terrorist attacks have targeted several military formations in Borno and Yobe, including Sabon Gari and Buni Yadi, with the latest being the attack on the 153 Task Force Battalion.
Attempts to reach Maj-Gen Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, were unsuccessful as he didn’t answer calls or respond to text messages.
…Taravest 2025 to Unlock Opportunities in agric, energy, mining
…as state offers peace, resources, incentives
By Gloria Ikibah
The Federal Government and Government of Taraba State have called on the international community and private sector players to partner with Taraba in unlocking the state’s massive investment potentials across agriculture, energy, mining, and tourism.
This call comes ahead of the Taraba International Investment Summit (Taravest), with the theme: “Unlocking Taraba’s Investment Potentials, Advancing Agriculture, Energy, Mining and Industrialization for sustainable development “, scheduled for May 21, 2025, in Jalingo, Taraba state.
Speaking at the diplomatic preparatory briefing in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who was represented by Ambassador Anderson Madubike commended the initiative, describing it as a platform that aligns with Nigeria’s economic diplomacy agenda.
“I wish to commend His Excellency and indeed the Government of Taraba State for convening this timely summit, particularly at this time when the whole world is in need of creating a travelling investment climate through co-location. There is therefore the need for partnership between governments, private sector players, and civil societies,” the Minister stated.
He emphasised that Taravest represents “a collective pursuit of development and prosperity, not only for Taraba State, but indeed for the whole world.
“They have enormous resources—we’re talking about gold, we’re talking about uranium, and many others, and of course agriculture, fertile land, which you know, food, is the way to go”, he added.
Ambassador Madubike noted that the theme for the summit, themed “Unlocking Taraba’s Investment Potentials: Advancing Agriculture, Energy, Mining, and Industrialization for Sustainable Growth,” is expected to attract both local and international stakeholders.
“Our presence here signifies a commitment to making Taraba a model of investment and sustainable development,” he said.
In his address, the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas, expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and extended an open invitation to diplomats and investors.
Dr. Agbu highlighted the significance of the summit as the first of its kind since the state was created in 1991, and laid out three clear objectives.
“It is my great honor to welcome you to the Paivota Preparatory Meeting for the Taraba State International Investment Summit, Taravest 2025, in just nine days to come.
“To orient you to Taraba’s untapped potentials and the structure of the summit; to inspire your confidence in our security, infrastructure, and business environment; and to enlist your support in rallying investors, technical partners, and development agencies”, the governor said.
He emphasised Taraba’s strategic strengths, citing five core advantages, this is as he reassured guests about the state’s security readiness.
“Peace and security, over 44,000 km² of fertile land for agriculture, massive hydropower and solar capacity, rich mineral reserves including gold, barite, and lithium, and growing opportunities in tourism and the digital economy.
“I want to assure you that we have coordinated with the state security services, the Nigerian military, the Nigerian police, and our traditional rulers… to guarantee your safety”, he added.
The summit, he explained, will feature B2B and B2G matchmaking, policy dialogues, PPP frameworks, and guided site visits to model farms and mining zones.
“Taravest 2025 is more than a conference. It is a statement of fact that Taraba is open for transformative partnership. I invite you to leverage your good offices to mobilize your government and business communities,so that together we will convert promise into progress and unlock a future of shared prosperity”, Dr. Agbu added.
He also urged embassies to submit the names of participating investors and delegates by May 16, 2025, to ease logistics.
Taravest 2025, which will hold at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Jalingo, aims to attract capital, expertise, and innovation to transform Taraba into a thriving investment destination and economic powerhouse.
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