Reps plans to reduce number of federal ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs)  

The House of Representatives on Wednesday made a resolution to reduce the number of federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the country. The House, therefore, appointed an ad-hoc committee to screen the existing 1,484 MDAs in Nigerian and work out areas of mergers, synergies, and justification of the existence of some established Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals, and Corporations, that are no longer functional in the country. The aim is not to reduce the federal workforce but to eliminate unnecessary duplication of MDAs.

The Chief Whip of the House, Mohammed Monguno, had moved a motion on the need to Investigate the Duplication of Functions of Agencies of the Federal Government.

Members of the House expressed concerns over the duplication of MDAs and the effect on the cost of governance. The lawmakers noted that “with the existence of about 1,484 Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals, and Corporations in the country, and with the attendant duplication of functions and clash of interests, there is a likelihood of the latest World Bank annual ratings to slide.”