IN this report, The ICIR explores newly proposed government agencies whose mandates overlap with existing institutions, contradicting the Federal Government’s stated commitment to streamline governance in line with the Oronsaye Report.

On Monday, February 26, 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved the implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report, which recommends scrapping, merging or reducing the number of existing federal government agencies. Despite the pronouncements on cutting governance costs, the federal legislative and executive pipelines continue to introduce or preserve parallel agencies whose responsibilities directly clash.

A recent example is the Chartered Out-of-Home Media Practitioners of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2026, which the Senate passed on July 9, 2026. Sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), the bill is said to provide a long-awaited legal framework to govern out-of-home advertising and media practices nationwide.

However, the bill established a statutory framework parallel to the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON). The ARCON already has legal authority under its establishing Act to regulate, license, and enforce standards across all advertising and marketing communication sectors in Nigeria, including out-of-home media.

The ARCON Act, enacted in 2022 and which commenced on June 27, 2022, provided that the regulatory body will ensure that its work includes the protection of the general public and consumers, the promotion of local content, and the addressing of related matters concerning advertising.

Another pattern of institutional overlap is evident in the healthcare sector, as reflected in the proposed National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA) Bill, 2025. The proposed bill is sponsored by Senator Samaila Kaila, who represents the Bauchi North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate. The agency aims to set national care standards, accredit medical facilities, and monitor compliance across both public and private health institutions to ensure patient safety and quality care. The bill passed its second reading in the Senate in December 2025.

However, in July 2026, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) called on the Senate to halt deliberations on the proposed National Health Facilities Regulatory Agency Bill, describing it as unnecessary and a duplication of existing regulatory frameworks. In a petition addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and signed by ACPN Chairman, Ambrose Eze, the association urged the Senate to stop the Bill in the national interest.

ACPN argued that Nigeria already has statutory institutions responsible for regulating healthcare practice, including the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. It said these bodies have operated for decades within clearly defined legal frameworks and already perform the functions proposed for the National Health Facilities Regulatory Agency.

The Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria also called on the National Assembly to withdraw the proposed National Health Facility Regulatory Agency Bill, 2025, warning that the legislation could increase healthcare costs, duplicate the functions of existing regulatory bodies and force private hospitals out of business.

The Oronsaye report 

The report, submitted to the Federal Government in 2012, evaluated federal statutory and non-statutory bodies. It was a recommendation of the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies, chaired by former Head of Civil Service Stephen Oronsaye. It recommended reductions of government agencies to streamline operations and reduce the cost of governance.

The report caught the attention of the three presidents who have led the country since its submission. They are former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, and incumbent President Bola Tinubu. Jonathan and Buhari considered its implementation at different times but failed.

As of 2024, The ICIR reported that implementing the report could reduce the Federal Government’s 263 statutory agencies as of 2012 to 161, resulting in 102 agency heads losing their jobs.

In February 2024, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced the approval of the Report’s implementation, directing the merger, scrapping, or subsuming of some agencies. The ICIR reported that 20 MDAs were listed for mergers.

However, execution remains selective. While administrative mergers were announced for bodies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, major revenue-generating and regulatory bodies were left untouched or preserved through legislative exemptions.

In 2023, The ICIR reported that President Tinubu formed the biggest-ever cabinet in the country, adding that paying 45 ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet would gulp N30 million monthly.

The report noted that running ministries takes a huge toll on Nigeria’s meagre resources, much of which is corruptly diverted into the private purses of public officials, as seen in scores of corruption cases involving former public officeholders in the nation’s courts. 

On July 9, 2024, The ICIR reported the announcement of the creation of another ministry, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, just four months after approving the full implementation of Orosanye’s Report.

At the same time, the National Assembly continues to pass new “establishment bills” that introduce fresh agencies, counteracting executive restructuring efforts.

What expert says

Speaking on why the National Assembly continues to pass establishment bills despite executive efforts to streamline governance, Charles Asiegbu, a senior policy and research consultant, explained that the National Assembly acts within its constitutional mandate as governance needs to evolve.

However, he noted that the core issue stems from a lack of rigorous institutional analysis rather than legislative overreach alone.

He explained that new bills are frequently introduced without evaluating existing institutional mandates, resulting in political momentum superseding evidence-based policymaking.

“Legislative proposals are often introduced without comprehensive assessments of existing institutional arrangements, mandate overlaps, or cost implications,” Asiegbu said. “Consequently, bills supported by stronger political or stakeholder lobbying frequently receive greater attention than those grounded in robust evidence and research.”

Addressing the impact of duplicated agencies on Nigeria’s business climate and regulatory clarity, he stated that the proliferation of overlapping mandates creates jurisdictional friction and weakens policy execution across sectors.

According to him, this lack of clarity is further exacerbated when executive actions expand an agency’s operational boundary beyond its legal mandate, leading to institutional rivalry and higher compliance burdens for private enterprises.

“The result is duplication of effort, regulatory inconsistency, and institutional friction. These dynamics often manifest as inter-agency rivalry, with agencies competing for influence, resources and jurisdiction rather than coordinating their efforts. Such fragmentation ultimately increases compliance costs for businesses, slows decision-making, and undermines the predictability of the regulatory environment,” he noted.

On resolving the persistent failure to implement the 2012 Oronsaye Report, Asiegbu pointed out that while the report remains a comprehensive baseline, its recommendations are over 14 years old and require an immediate, updated assessment to reflect current legal and policy realities.

He emphasised that creating another report would yield little progress without the sustained political determination required to enforce its findings across both branches of government.

“Rather than relying solely on recommendations developed over a decade ago, the government should establish a new Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies,” he advised.

“The critical challenge is therefore not the production of another report, but the political will to implement its recommendations through a clear legal framework, measurable timelines, and sustained executive and legislative commitment,” he said.