Oronsaye Report: How Tinubu’s Decision Will Impact Nigeria’s Environment, Health, and Mines and Steel Sector

President Bola Tinubu has approved the full implementation of the Oronsaye report, which aims to restructure and rationalize the federal government agencies in Nigeria.

This decision, announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, will affect several sectors of the economy and society, including the environment, health, and mines and steel.

Some of the key points from the report are:

The report, initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 and chaired by retired civil servant Stephen Oronsaye, recommended the scrapping and merging of 220 out of 541 government agencies, to eliminate duplication and wastage of resources.

The report estimated that the government could save over N862 billion between 2012 and 2015 by implementing the recommendations, which include abolishing 38 agencies, merging 52, and reverting 14 to departments within ministries.

The report also suggested reducing the number of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, which would mean that over 100 agency heads would lose their positions.

Some of the agencies that might be affected by the report are EFCC, ICPC, and FRSC, as well as those that have overlapping functions, such as NCC, NBC, and NTA, FRCN, and VON.

The implementation of the report will have significant implications for the environment, health, and mines and steel sector in Nigeria. Some of the possible impacts are:

The environment sector might benefit from the merger of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), which would create a unified and stronger regulatory body for environmental protection and enforcement.

The health sector might face some challenges from the abolition of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which are responsible for providing primary health care and health insurance to millions of Nigerians.

The report proposed that their functions be transferred to the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Assembly, respectively, but this might affect the quality and accessibility of health services for the citizens.

The mines and steel sector might experience some improvement from the merger of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), which would enhance the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the country.

The report also recommended that the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC) and the Nigerian Coal Corporation (NCC) be privatized, which might attract more investment and innovation to the sector.

The Oronsaye report has been met with mixed reactions from the public and stakeholders, who have expressed both support and criticism for the decision.

While some have applauded the move as a bold and necessary step to reform the public service and reduce the cost of governance, others have raised concerns about the potential loss of jobs, disruption of service delivery, and lack of consultation and transparency in the process.

The Federal Government has assured that it will engage with the relevant parties, including the National Assembly, the labour unions, and the civil society, to ensure a smooth and successful implementation of the report.