The FG creates the Committee for the Harmonization of Sector Policies

Announcement

In a bid to improve policy formulation and implementation across sectors, the Federal Government has established a special committee to review and harmonize sectoral policies in Nigeria.

Inaugurated by the Special Assistant to the President on Policy Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, the committee includes representatives from key agencies including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), the Office of the Vice President, as well as other stakeholders.

Addressing journalists after the launch ceremony, Bala Usman, who chairs the committee, explained that the initiative aims to address the lack of interconnection and coherence between policies regulating different sectors. She said outdated sector policies need to be reviewed to bring them in line with current realities and the federal government’s eight presidential priorities.

“The federal government has deemed it appropriate to establish a team to review sectoral policies and coordinate them with enhanced inter-sectoral cooperation,” said Bala Usman.

The Commission will work closely with ministries, agencies and subject matter experts to improve implementation and policy formulation processes. By engaging stakeholders, the team aims to develop updated sector policies that meet the country’s needs and priorities.

Professor Ayo Omotayo, Director General of NIPSS, assured that the institute, Nigeria’s apex think tank, would work with other agencies to develop a workable plan for harmonized policy development. He admitted that the main challenge in policy formulation and implementation is the lack of coordination among ministries, departments and agencies.

“NIPSS, together with other collaborating agencies, will provide the nation with an actionable plan and develop an implementation framework that will ensure that policies in Nigeria are no longer self-contradictory,” Omotayo said.

The Special Adviser revealed that the committee intends to complete work on updating priority sector policies within the next 12-18 weeks.

The other members of the committee include representatives from the Office of the Vice President, NIPSS research staff and a retired permanent secretary.
The creation of the commission highlights the federal government’s commitment to addressing policy inconsistencies and ensuring coherence across sectors for effective governance and development.