By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Federal Government has taken steps to restructure its policy landscape, close noticeable gaps and halt policy overlaps and somersaults as part of renewed efforts to develop a more structured, efficient, and responsive governance architecture.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume stated this on Tuesday at a Stakeholders’ Validation Session on the Draft National Policy Development and Management Framework held at the State House Conference Centre in the Presidential Villa.
At the event which was organized by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination / Head, Central Results Delivery and Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, the SGF said the validation session is an affirmation of the administration’s recognition that “a well-articulated, structured, inclusive and institutionalized approach to policy management is fundamental to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda”.
According to the SGF, the administration of President Bola Tinubu, remains unwavering in its commitment to strengthening institutional frameworks, fostering a governance approach that is focused on its citizens, and ensuring that policy serves as a catalyst for national development.
“We are not here merely to discuss processes and frameworks—we are here to deepen our resolve to build a governance structure that is adaptive, coordinated, and impactful – hence the desire for collaboration with key stakeholders.
“Indeed, public policy is not crafted in isolation; it is the result of deliberate prioritization, consultation, and collective will. For policies to be truly effective, they must emerge from structured engagements that include both government institutions and the citizens they serve. Governance thrives when policies and the policy architecture itself is designed with input from diverse stakeholders and when their implementation is active and deliberate.
“This process cannot be left to chance, nor can it afford the luxury of indecision. As the coordinating engine of government, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation bears the responsibility of ensuring that policies are not only developed in line with national priorities but that they are also effectively implemented, monitored, and adapted in response to emerging realities”, he added.
Earlier, Hajia Bala Usman noted that policy-making is central to governance and that the administration is actively addressing long-standing gaps within the policy ecosystem.
She identified such gaps to include policy inconsistency, inadequate clarity around policy formulation and implementation processes, as well as the absence of a unified standard across government institutions.
“The draft National Policy Development and Management Framework is a timely and strategic response to these challenges. It provides much-needed clarity, structure, and coherence which enables the development of policies with clear intent, implemented with discipline, and evaluated for real impact.
“Therefore, the development and validation of this framework represents a key milestone in our ongoing effort to institutionalize effective governance process and ensure that public policies translate into real measurable benefits for Nigerian people”, she said.
According to her, the National Policy Development and Management Framework offers a comprehensive and standardized framework that aims to improve the quality, consistency, and coordination of policy-making opportunities, departments, and agencies of government.
She said it is designed to guide public institutions in formulating policies that are not only technically sound but also inclusive, strategic, and results-oriented.
Usman added that the development of the framework was driven by a clear and pressing need of a guide to determine how government formulates, conceptualizes and implements its policies.
“A review of Nigerian existing policy landscape revealed a significant gap. There have been inconsistencies in policy structure. We have seen policy overlaps with unlimited coordination and challenges in implementing and monitoring policies. These challenges often undermine the effectiveness of otherwise well-intentioned policies and hinder the achievement of the national goal on which those policies were developed for. This framework is therefore our collective response. It is a tool designed to address these gaps, clarify roles and processes in policy formulation, conceptualisation, and implementation”, she added.
Om his part, Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo who noted that this was the first time that the Federal Government would give priority attention to policy development, said Nigeria needs to define her national interest according to sectoral policies.
“We believe that policy making should be a science and it has to be institutionalized. Very soon, we are going to introduce a certification in the area of policy making for advisers of those in government”, he said.
Also, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group NESG, Dr Tayo Aduloju will allow for policy coherence and collaboration for execution.
He regretted that since 1999, seven out of 10 policies failed to achieve 100 percent execution.
Stakeholders at the event agreed that over the years, one of the recurring challenges of policy management in Nigeria has been the lack of coherence and consistency across ministries, departments, and agencies.
“Fragmentation, duplication, and misalignment have often resulted in inefficiencies, slowing down the implementation of critical interventions that should otherwise accelerate national progress”, the said.
The National Policy Development and Management Framework is the result of extensive collaboration between Us man’s office, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, the Partnership for Agile, Organic and Climate Engagement, and the National Economic Summit Group.
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