President Bola Tinubu, alongside the Federal Executive Council (FEC), has announced the dissolution of two key ministries: the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Ministry of Sports Development.
This decision was confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, in a tweet following the FEC meeting held on Tuesday.
The official statement read, “President Tinubu and Federal Executive Council scrap Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.”
In a strategic shift, the administration will now establish a Ministry of Regional Development.
This new ministry will oversee all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.
Onanuga highlighted the implications of this reorganization, stating, “There will now be a ministry of regional development to oversee all the regional development commissions.”
This move is seen as an effort to streamline governance and enhance focus on regional development across the country.
Furthermore, the functions previously held by the Ministry of Sports Development will transition to the National Sports Commission.
Onanuga explained, “The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports,” indicating a shift towards a more centralized approach to managing sports in Nigeria.
In addition to these changes, the FEC approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, creating a unified entity aimed at enhancing the synergy between tourism and cultural initiatives.
These changes come amid ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to improve governance efficiency and address the pressing needs of various sectors in Nigeria.
The restructuring is expected to have far-reaching effects on regional development initiatives and the sports sector, with stakeholders keenly observing how these transitions will unfold in practice.