FG Slashes Federal Ministries to 25

Ahead of today’s inauguration of 36 ministers-designate, President Muhammadu Buhari, last night, reduced federal ministries from 42 to 25, in a sign he will install a streamlined, long-awaited cabinet.

The ministries of police affairs, aviation and special duties appear to have been scrapped while ministries of Lands, Housing, Urban Development and Works have been merged to become Ministry of Works and Housing.

Also, the information, culture, national orientation and tourism ministries have been collapsed into one Ministry of Information and Culture.

Before Tuesday, the Budget Office of the Federation was an agency under the Ministry of Finance while National Planning was a stand-alone ministry.

The Ministry of Aviation is now under the Ministry of Transportation, among other mergers.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Buhari, approved the appointment of new Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

This came some hours after he sacked about 17 permanent secretaries.

In a statement by Mr. Femi Adesina, his spokesperson, Buhari appointed the new permanent secretaries, deploying them to various ministries.