2025 budget for agencies under presidency will be based on actual needs — Gbajabiamila

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday declared that the 2025 budget for State House agencies will be based on a thorough needs assessment to ensure that funding allocated to agencies is based on actual requirements.

Gbajabiamila spoke to newsmen in Abuja following a one-day fact-finding tour of some government agencies under the supervision of the State House.

“In any country in the world, resources are limited. For us, it is about prioritizing. Where are we so far? What have the agencies done? How have they measured up to their mandates, and how important are their mandates in terms of the vision of this administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda?

“A lot of agencies are not properly funded. Do we merge some of these agencies, do we scrap some? I’m not talking about the State House agencies.

“In 2025, we are not going to budget in a vacuum. We will budget based on needs assessment,” he said.

Earlier, in separate interactions with heads and staff of the agencies, the Chief of Staff pledged that the Presidency would ensure better welfare and working conditions for staff within the agencies under the supervision of the State House.

He urged the staff of these agencies to embrace innovation, excellence, and professionalism while supporting their Chief Executives to succeed.

Accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Sen. Ibrahim Hadeija, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff), Mrs. Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, Gbajabiamila also stressed the importance of transparency in the procurement process, which is critical to upholding the administration’s commitment to good governance and accountability.

Specifically, the Chief of Staff visited the Nigeria Agriculture and Land Development Agency (NALDA), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

During the tour, Gbajabiamila underscored the importance of the agencies in driving the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the economic and development sectors, and reiterated the administration’s resolve to strengthen these institutions.

He noted that the visit, the first of its kind under the administration, was a follow-up to the recent one-day retreat for the heads of State House Agencies.

The retreat was convened to reinforce the administration’s commitment to strengthening institutions, ensuring they are well-equipped to fulfill their mandates, and reducing the cost of governance.

Assuring the agencies that their concerns about staff remuneration, inadequate office accommodation, and other legitimate challenges would be addressed, Gbajabiamila said measures would be put in place to create a more conducive work environment.

“This government is particular about diversifying our economy, and the role the agriculture sector has to play is very important,” he said during an interactive session with the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Engr. Cornelius Adebayo.

“This government is focusing very seriously on agriculture and food security, and we trust that NALDA will continue to be innovative in its operations, including developing greenhouses and supporting the cultivation of more arable land across the country,” he added.

At BPP, the Chief of Staff, while responding to a presentation by the acting Director-General, Olusegun Omotola, commended the agency for saving the Federal Government some N1.7 trillion from 2009-2022 by blocking loopholes that would have been exploited during procurement.

“The Act establishing the Bureau is going through a review process that will make it meet international best practices, reduce corruption, red tape, and bureaucracy.

“We will also look at the staff remuneration and why there has not been a review over the years, especially when compared with sister agencies like the Debt Management Office, whose remuneration and salary structure has been reviewed a couple of times over the years,” the Chief of Staff said in response to a request by BPP’s acting DG.

On the National Council on Procurement (NCP), which is an establishment of the law but has never been inaugurated since the creation of the Bureau, the Chief of Staff hinted that President Tinubu intends to inaugurate the Council, conscious of the need for the proposed amendments to the BPP Act.

Addressing the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Gbajabiamila commended the agency for remitting over N1 trillion in proceeds to the Federal Government since 1999 and emphasized the need for improvement.

“We are ready to work with you to make you achieve your mandate optimally,” he assured.

BPE’s Director-General, Ayodeji Gbeleyi, disclosed that the agency had received N93.4 billion from privatization projects in the first and second quarters of 2024, though this fell short of the revised expected revenue of N259.7 billion.

At NAEC, the Chief of Staff to the President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation in the country.

Responding to a presentation by Prof. Yusuf Ahmed, the Chairman of NAEC, Gbajabiamila said the government recognizes the importance of incorporating nuclear technology into Nigeria’s energy mix to meet the nation’s growing energy needs.

At NASENI, Gbajabiamila commended the agency for championing local content development, particularly in the areas of electric vehicles, motorbikes, and solar-powered smart irrigation systems, through accelerated technology transfer.

He expressed President Bola Tinubu’s confidence in the nation’s human resources and their ability to lead technological advancement.

“I’m very impressed with what we have seen and what we have heard,” the Chief of Staff said after a tour of the facility at NASENI.

“The fact that you have 35 market-ready products and have completed 44 tangible projects and initiatives in 10 months speaks volumes of your commitment, dedication, and passion for what you are doing.

“I commend you and the rest of the team for what you are doing. We live in a world of modern-day technology, and Nigeria must not be left behind, and we need agencies like NASENI to propagate the President’s vision of advancement in technology,” he told the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu.

On staff welfare, the Chief of Staff noted that creating an enabling work environment is very important to boosting staff morale and productivity.

He noted that due to NASENI’s location at the Idu industrial layout, Abuja, approximately 30 kilometers from the city center, the management should provide adequate support to ease transportation costs for employees.

In his remarks, Halilu commended the administration for its unflinching support of the agency.

He reiterated the agency’s commitment to conducting research and development, as well as the production and commercialization of products that contribute directly to Nigeria’s GDP and improve the lives of the people.