Kwara restructures ministries for efficiency

Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has approved the restructuring of ministries in the state to improve service delivery and deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.

The exercise is also aimed to achieve greater efficiency, ensure effective coordination of mandates and accommodate the developmental needs of the 21st century.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Communication, Mrs Abosede Buraimoh, in Ilorin on Saturday.

She explained that the restructuring was a result of a memorandum to restructure and split some government ministries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the memorandum was presented by the Head of Service, Mrs Modupe Oluwole, at a virtual cabinet meeting on Friday evening, which was chaired by the governor.

Read Also: Repentant insurgents can be prosecuted — Minister

In the restructuring, the new Ministry of Solid Minerals Development was excised from the current Ministry of Enterprise, while the latter was renamed Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology to drive the state’s huge investments in innovation and technology.

“This development also means that the old Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology is now Ministry of Tertiary Education.

“The council also approved the partitioning of the mammoth Ministry of Works to birth Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

“This is a step designed to concentrate on the challenge of housing and urbanisation as drivers of economic development,” the commissioner said.

She added that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development was split into the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Read Also:Insecurity: Matawalle to change tactics to deal with unrepentant bandits

Buraimoh said the splitting of the ministries was for efficiency in their core responsibilities, particularly because of the increasing scope of issues relating to women globally.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth Development is now the Ministry of Youths Development, following the recent creation of the Kwara State Sports Commission, which now has the obligation to streamline and coordinate sporting activities and promotion in the state.

“The cabinet also approved the carving out of Ministry of Planning and Economic Development from the current Ministry of Finance and Planning, leaving the finance segment of the old ministry to stand on its own.

“The cabinet upheld the argument that the responsibility of planning has evolved into diverse and well-developed branches, which makes it expedient to make it a full-fledged ministry,” she said.

According to the commissioner, this is to enhance the robust and seamless planning process as well as allow for finance, which was large and critical to the fiscal success of the government, to optimise its focus.

Read Also:Ganduje presents staff of office to Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Ado-Bayero

She added that there were now 20 ministries in the state from the 16, adding that each of the ministries will be manned by separate Permanent Secretaries, while the existing directorates in each of them would subsist.

Buraimoh also said that the Head of Service briefed the council on the recent Kwara Geographic Information Service Law 2020.

According to her, the law stipulates that the Service will coordinate and superintend Office of the Surveyor-General, Bureau of Lands, Physical Planning Authority, and Urban and Regional Planning. (NAN)