Dr Joe Abah Speaking at Nigeria Economic Summit 2015 on efforts to Reform Nigeria’s Public Service .

Dr. Joe Abah seated in the middle at the Nigerian Economic Summit.

The 2015 edition of the annual Nigeria Econo-mic Summit kicked off on Monday with an array of private sector chieftains and government officials led by the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, with the focus on how Nigeria can make the tough choices necessary to over the challenge of achieving inclusive growth and global competitiveness. In this report, Peter Egwuatu  & Emmanuel Elebeke, present highlights of proceedings from the first day of the Summit. 

The annual Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) is organised by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning. The last two summits focused on specific sectors.  For example, the Summit in 2013, developed key recommendations and outcomes to reposition the Agricultural sector as a business to diversify the economy, while 2014 Summit focused on Education and was themed “Transforming Education through Partnerships for Global Competitiveness.

In his contribution, Director of Bureau of Public Service Reform, Dr. Joe Abah, said, “We have made a proposal on how we want to carry out reforms  in the public service. Following that we have made reviews of agencies and parastatals.  

Public service reforms in the last two years have focused too heavily on ministries but it is the agencies that are closer to the people and that can deliver on services.   We should focus very seriously on agency reforms.   There is much duplication that has to be addressed. We should set out framework through which we can rationalize  these agencies. We need to add additional focus to what the  agencies deliver and cost of running them.

Improving the business climate, public finance and address  the dislocations caused in the past. We need to have  convergence in this process.   We have got the pressure  from the citizens, now we need the power from the government as  well as  the willingness to achieve rapid change. It is important we have a commonality of understanding of understanding for reforming public institutions.”

Source - UNCOVA