Tinubu, policy coordination and effective governance in Nigeria, By Ayodeji Aransiola

As Bala Usman took the floor to welcome guests, her message was clear: Nigeria can no longer afford the policy disarray that has plagued it for decades! She pointed out that too many policies were drafted in silos, duplicated across MDAs, or poorly implemented and too many good ideas die due to lack of coordination or continuity. This new framework, she said, aims to bring order to that chaos, ensure clarity in operationalisation and achieve unity of purpose.

At the end of March, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head, Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, held a Stakeholders’ Validation Session on the Draft National Policy Development and Management Framework. The event, which was held in the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, was a significant step toward institutional reform and effective governance. It brought together a broad coalition of public and private sector actors committed to shaping a future where policies do not just exist on paper but become actualities which benefit Nigerians.

Leading from the front, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume gave an inspiring speech on the importance of guided policy formulation, implementation and monitoring. Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abass also expressed their solid backing for the process by sending representatives who delivered goodwill messages on how this step could lay a solid foundation for public administration in the country.

How Did We Even Arrive At this Juncture?

A committee for the Review and Harmonisation of Sectoral Policies was set up in February 2024. The committee comprised representatives of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination. It was charged with the responsibility to work towards creating a foundation for effective public policy formulation and implementation in the country

The Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, had earlier on 28 November, 2023, written to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), requesting discussions on possible areas of collaboration. She noted, “…recognising the significant role that the National Institute plays in shaping evidence- based policies, we believe that a joint effort would greatly contribute to advancing our nation’s policy landscape.”

This engagement progressed with a visit by Bala Usman and her team to the Institute’s headquarters in Kuru, Plateau State, in February 2024, where discussions focused on aligning efforts to uphold the Tinubu administration’s recognition of NIPSS’s expertise and pivotal role in strategic policy development. President Tinubu had emphasised the importance of leveraging domestic capacities for problem-solving, a vision well-aligned with NIPSS’s status as Nigeria’s foremost public think-tank.

As a result of these engagements, a collaborative effort between Bala Usman’s team and the NIPSS team led by their Director General, Professor Ayo Omotayo, led to the formation of the Committee for the Review and Harmonisation of Sectorial Policies. This committee, later joined by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), was tasked with developing a comprehensive policy framework to strengthen intersectoral coordination.

The goal of this collaboration was to eliminate the tendency for MDAs to operate in silos and generate a workable plan and implementation framework, such that policies in Nigeria will no longer contradict themselves. The initiative is expected to lay the foundation for responsible and accountable governance, ensuring that government in Nigerians functions as a continuum more than ever. 

Its terms of reference included analysing existing sectoral policies for outdated content, inconsistencies, or gaps; proposing revisions aligned with current national needs and goals; recommending approaches for cross-sector harmonisation; resolving overlaps and conflicts among government agencies; compiling best practices for policy development; mapping the mandates and interrelationships of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs); and ultimately creating a reviewed and harmonised set of sectorial policies, alongside a national framework template for policy formulation and implementation.

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The goal of this collaboration was to eliminate the tendency for MDAs to operate in silos and generate a workable plan and implementation framework, such that policies in Nigeria will no longer contradict themselves. The initiative is expected to lay the foundation for responsible and accountable governance, ensuring that government in Nigerians functions as a continuum more than ever. One year later, the committee was ready with this draft, for which this meeting was called to take the contributions of stakeholders, which would then be incorporated into the final draft.

Stakeholders from all walks of life were in the room; the diplomatic community, directors from all federal ministries, their state governments counterparts, the organised private sector, development partners, private think tanks, the academia and civil society organisations came in their numbers. They lauded the initiative, even as they identified various areas of possible improvement.

As Bala Usman took the floor to welcome guests, her message was clear: Nigeria can no longer afford the policy disarray that has plagued it for decades! She pointed out that too many policies were drafted in silos, duplicated across MDAs, or poorly implemented and too many good ideas die due to lack of coordination or continuity. This new framework, she said, aims to bring order to that chaos, ensure clarity in operationalisation and achieve unity of purpose.

The room echoed a consensus of agreement for the positive change. Everyone — government officials, development partners, representatives from NIPSS, the academia and civil society — understood the need for a reset. The new framework is designed to ensure that policies are not just created but also followed through. It insists on evidence-based development, clarity in roles, and clear lines of responsibility.

After the stakeholder validation event, the technical committee went back to work, taking from the varied experiences shared in the room on the day. In weeks to come, a final draft will be ready for presentation to the Federal Executive Council, after which further steps towards the adoption of the document will follow. It smells of a new era for effective governance in the country. 

The draft policy framework, a first of its kind at the national level, is designed to create a unified, coherent approach to how government policies are developed, implemented, and monitored. It establishes standards, processes, and accountability mechanisms that bring clarity and consistency to the policy-making process. It sets out to ensure that every policy formulated is aligned with the national development agenda and backed by evidence, resources, and a clear implementation pathway.

At the heart of this framework is a push for results-oriented governance. The framework demands that policies be tracked and evaluated regularly, allowing government and citizens alike to measure progress and make informed adjustments. This emphasis on monitoring and evaluation marks a decisive shift from past tendencies of policy abandonment and fragmented implementation.

But beyond structure and processes, the framework is a political statement. It signals President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to doing things differently — to restoring public trust through regular stakeholder engagement, transparency, accountability, and strategic coordination. It reflects an administration that understands the importance of getting the foundation right.

Conversations in the room on this day pointed to the fact that Nigeria’s developmental challenges are complex, but there are solutions within reach. With the proper policy framework in place, the country can begin to unlock the full potential of its institutions and ensure that government interventions deliver real value to citizens. The validation session was not just a technical exercise; it was a turning point in the country’s journey toward a more efficient and responsive governance system. Throughout the session, it became evident that this initiative wasn’t just about better governance on paper. It was about restoring trust.

After the stakeholder validation event, the technical committee went back to work, taking from the varied experiences shared in the room on the day. In weeks to come, a final draft will be ready for presentation to the Federal Executive Council, after which further steps towards the adoption of the document will follow. It smells of a new era for effective governance in the country. 

Ayodeji Aransiola writes in from Abuja.