Tinubu Assigns Matawalle and Other Ministers of State to Oversee Agencies within Their Ministries

As part of ongoing reforms aimed at economic growth and stronger leadership, President Bola Tinubu has granted full oversight authority to Ministers of State over the agencies within their respective ministries. Now, Ministers of State, including Dr. Matawalle (Defence), along with those in Water Resources, Sanitation, Agriculture, and others, will have direct control over agencies under their jurisdiction.

Previously, files related to departments and agencies were routed through permanent secretaries to senior ministers for approvals. Under the new arrangement, Ministers of State can independently authorize administrative decisions and manage governance processes for these agencies.

According to a source from the Office of the Head of Service, Tinubu was dissatisfied with the previous structure, where Ministers of State had limited authority, which he felt led to the underutilization of their expertise. The reform, originally proposed by Hadiza Bala Usman, the President’s special adviser on policy coordination, aims to fully leverage the capabilities of all ministers by granting them the autonomy to make impactful decisions within their sectors.