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VP Shettima: Our Institutional Policy Reforms Will Solve 80% Of Nigeria’s Bureaucratic Challenges
VP Shettima: Our Institutional Policy Reforms Will Solve 80% Of Nigeria’s Bureaucratic Challenges
** Says President Tinubu engraving new era of economic discipline, policy clarity
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said there is an urgent need for institutional reforms as the foundation for solving the majority of Nigeria’s public policy challenges.
According to him, strengthening the nation’s institutional frameworks would address 80 per cent of Nigeria’s public policy challenges.
The Vice President stated this on Monday during the official presentation of the draft National Public Policy Development and Management Framework by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination/Head of the Central Results Delivery and Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman.
VP Shettima described the new policy framework as a transformative approach that has been “long overdue” in Nigeria’s governance architecture.
“If we get our institutional frameworks right, we will solve 80% of our public policy challenges. This approach is long overdue,” he said.
The Vice President called for a national reset in the way public policy is conceived, communicated, and implemented, noting that the mitochondria of every government is a workable national public policy.
Commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, VP Shettima praised the President’s unique blend of public and private sector experience and his readiness to implement bold reforms.
“For the first time, we have a leader who understands the dynamics and speaks the language of economics. He has the courage to take far-reaching decisions. We cannot but commend President Tinubu for his very promising reforms across all sectors of the national economy,” he said.
The Vice President also stressed the importance of policy clarity and communication, pointing out that reforms must be clearly understood by the public and consistently implemented across all tiers of government.
Highlighting the role of e-governance and digitisation, VP Shettima advocated for data-driven policy execution and real-time monitoring, just as he also called for enforceable consequences within the policy framework.
“There must be targets and deliverables; if people fail to perform, they should be made to pay the price. Implementation without accountability is another word for lunacy. People must be made to account for their stewardship,” the VP said.
Emphasising the need to build strong institutions over reliance on individual leaders, the Senator drew a leaf from former United States President Barack Obama, saying, “Like former President Barack Obama said, what nations need is not strong characters or leaders, but strong institutions — institutions guided by strong, fair, and acceptable laws.”
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, told the Vice President that the draft National Policy Development Framework was conceived by the realisation that the federal government had no document that conceptualised government policies.
“It is interesting, Your Excellency, to know that at the beginning of this administration, it was quite baffling that the federal government did not have a guiding document which specifies the process by which policies should be conceptualised.
“Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government had been operating in silos, often producing overlapping and outdated policies. This has led to fragmentation, policy inconsistency, duplication of efforts, and ultimately inefficiency in the government’s endeavours.
“These challenges have not only impeded the realisation of government goals, but it has also weakened public trust and discouraged investor confidence. Recognising this urgency and the need to address these systemic issues is what enabled us, as a team, to initiate this process,” she stated.
Hajiya Usman, however, expressed confidence that the Draft National Policy Development Framework will address deep-rooted challenges of policy management and lack of coherence and consistency across MDAs.
The Draft National Policy Development Framework, she noted, is the result of extensive collaboration between her office, Office of the Vice President, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the National Economic Summit Group.
The Presidential Aide assured that with the input of the Vice President, the draft framework will provide the much-needed clarity, structure, and coherence that will enable the development of policies with clear intent.
VP Shettima: Our Institutional Policy Reforms Will Solve 80% Of Nigeria’s Bureaucratic Challenges
VP Shettima Joins President Tinubu For Juma’at Prayers In Abuja
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima, alongside several other government officials, joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Juma’at prayers on Friday at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Central Mosque, Wuse 2, Abuja.
The delegation included the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, and the governors of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani; Jigawa State, Umar Namadi; Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; and Deputy Senate President, Sen. Barau Jibrin.
The prayers were also offered in honour of President Tinubu’s late mother, Hajiya Abibatu Mogaji.
VP Shettima Joins President Tinubu For Juma’at Prayers In Abuja
ASEAN Diplomatic Missions Commit to Strengthening Bilateral Ties with Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) diplomatic missions in Nigeria, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, have pledged to deepen bilateral ties with Nigeria.
The pledge was made on Thursday evening in Abuja during the “Essence of ASEAN” festival reception hosted by the High Commission of Malaysia in Nigeria in partnership with Embassies of Philippines, Indonesia , Thailand and Vietnam.
ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia “that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members.
The High Commissioner of Malaysia, Mr Aiyub Omar, who is also the current chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Abuja, highlighted the festival’s importance in fostering understanding and collaboration between ASEAN member countries and Nigeria.
He said: “Malaysia has been a partner to Nigeria since 1965, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of our bilateral relations
“This festival aims to raise awareness of ASEAN’s cultural offerings and opportunities in Nigeria, where interest in travel to Malaysia has surged, with over 300 applications from Nigerians to visit the country each month.
“Additionally, more than 3,000 Nigerians are currently studying in Malaysian universities, both public and private.
“There are so many travellers now travelling to Malaysia, for instance in a month, we receive about more than 300 applications for Nigerians to travel to Malaysia.”
The envoy also noted that ASEAN diplomatic missions rotate the chairmanship every six months, which helps maintain a dynamic engagement among member states.
Also speaking, Philippines Ambassador, Mr Mersole Mellejor, called for greater awareness of ASEAN among Nigerians, stating that efforts must be made to increase exposure and understanding of ASEAN’s aspirations as a vital partner in Africa.
He said: “The common people of Nigeria need to know what ASEAN represents and our aspirations.”
He also stressed the importance of increasing ASEAN’s visibility and engagement with Nigeria, recognising the potential of collaborating within a collective market of nearly 1 billion people across ASEAN and West Africa.
On his part, the Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, expressed appreciation for the support and emphasised Nigeria’s strong connections with ASEAN countries, stating how collaboration in trade and tourism is crucial for mutual economic growth.
Tuggar, who was represented by Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director of Regions in the Foreign Affairs Ministry pointed out that ASEAN has a lot to offer in terms of educational exchange programs, leveraging the robust network of institutions available in the region.
He said: “ASEAN has taught us that the first thing you need to do is trade among yourself, tourism among yourself, before you go out.
“So you have to build each other’s economy, each other’s trade and we borrowed the lead from the West African Economic Summit taking place tomorrow for all West African countries.
“So we are talking about how we grow together economically. Have a lot of collaboration with most of the ASEAN countries. Malaysia has a very robust scholarship exchange programme that they do provide. Same with Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and the other 5 countries.”
The highlight of the event was a display of ASEAN cultures, featuring traditional dances, attire, music, culinary delights, and promotional materials aimed at familiarising Nigerians with the diverse nations of ASEAN
ASEAN Diplomatic Missions Commit to Strengthening Bilateral Ties with Nigeria
Marwa Commissions NDLEA/NOA Vision Centre
By: Michael Mike
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) has commissioned a high-tech Vision Centre at its National Headquarters Annex in Abuja as part of efforts to promote and prioritise staff welfare as well as to boost their morale.
The facility, a product of strategic partnership between the Agency and the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) and its partner, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, is designed to provide comprehensive, affordable, and high-quality eye care services to NDLEA personnel and members of the public.
Speaking at the brief ceremony, Marwa expressed deep appreciation to the NOA and its partners for considering the NDLEA worthy of such a vital collaboration.
He said: “We are here with every sense of fulfilment and happiness to commission this Vision Centre,” while reflecting on the personal and public importance of vision health.
Marwa, drawing from his own experience with eye care, urged officers, men and women of the agency to prioritize regular eye checkups, noting that vision is key to productivity and quality of life.
He also commended the dedication of the team of optometrists managing the centre, while acknowledging their pioneering role and voluntary service.
He said: “We appreciate you for accepting to serve in this capacity even in uncharted grounds. This Centre is a worthy addition to our several initiatives to promote and cater for the wellbeing of our workforce.”
In his remarks, the NOA President, Dr. Chimeziri Anderson, described the commissioning as the culmination of a purposeful collaboration with the NDLEA and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation.
He recalled how the idea for the centre was birthed during a meeting in Lagos and praised the leadership of the agency for embracing the initiative.
He said: “This Vision Centre is one of only a few we have established within government institutions. It stands out as a model for sustainable eye care delivery. With support from our partners in France and Dubai, we are bringing world class equipment and services here, ensuring access to premium eye care and quality eye glasses for NDLEA staff and their families.”
The Director, Medical Services of NDLEA, Dr. Audu Okpe in his welcome remark noted that the establishment of the NDLEA-NOA Vision Centre marks another milestone in the agency’s growing portfolio of staff welfare initiatives under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa.
He said: “It also underscores a broader commitment to fostering public health partnerships between security institutions and professional medical bodies in Nigeria.”
Marwa Commissions NDLEA/NOA Vision Centre
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