Nigeria cannot afford underperforming ministers: Competence must lead

Nigeria’s promise of “renewed hope” risks being hollow if senior leadership continues to underperform. A survey by the Africa Polling Institute shows that 68 percent of Nigerians believe no minister in President Tinubu’s cabinet has delivered effectively in their first year. This is not just public sentiment; it is a stark reflection of widespread frustration over economic stagnation, insecurity, and stalled reforms.

The economy remains unstable. Inflation surged to 34.8 percent in December 2024, shrinking household purchasing power, while FX volatility and fuel price adjustments disrupted businesses. Ministries responsible for finance, power, infrastructure, and agriculture, critical to reversing these trends, are widely perceived as ineffective. The Minister of Power, for example, struggles to reduce blackouts despite substantial budget allocations. Frequent outages undermine productivity, investor confidence, and the everyday lives of millions.

Security, too, is in crisis. The Defence Ministry continues to face criticism amid escalating attacks by insurgents and bandits in multiple regions. Public confidence remains low, and experts question whether the current leadership possesses the operational and strategic capacity to manage Nigeria’s complex security challenges effectively.

Some ministers have shown glimpses of success. Education, FCT administration, innovation & digital economy, and health have received comparatively positive feedback. Yet, these successes are exceptions. The size and redundancy of the cabinet, now 48 ministers plus numerous junior ministers and advisers, hinder coordination, dilute accountability, and inflate costs. Ministries with overlapping mandates, such as Livestock and Agriculture, reflect misaligned priorities that waste resources and slow decision-making.

Critics argue that ministers operate under systemic constraints: delayed funding, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and overlapping mandates. While structural challenges exist, effective ministers use political authority to navigate these obstacles and deliver results. Widespread underperformance indicates that leadership and capacity, not just systemic limits, remain a core problem.

The consequences are tangible. Nigeria’s GDP growth slowed to 3.46 percent in Q3 2024, below the administration’s target, and productivity remains hampered by power failures, insecurity, and poor infrastructure. Public perception aligns with these metrics: 84 percent of Nigerians reported “profound sadness” about the nation’s trajectory, and 81 percent said the country was “heading in the wrong direction.”

A competence-based reshuffle is urgently needed. But it must be strategic, not haphazard. Key elements should include:

Detractors may argue that reshuffles risk political disruption or upset ethnic and regional balance. Yet governing Nigeria is not a zero-sum political game; it is a national emergency. Nigerians already pay the price of underperformance through high inflation, insecure communities, and unreliable services.

A competent, accountable cabinet is not a luxury; it is essential for national stability, economic growth, and public trust. If the Tinubu administration is serious about fulfilling its “renewed hope” agenda, it must act decisively: retain those who deliver, replace those who do not, and ensure that merit and performance, not loyalty or political calculation, guide appointments.

The clock is ticking. Every day that ineffective ministers remain in office, economic opportunities are lost, human capital erodes, and public trust diminishes. Nigeria cannot wait for reforms to “settle in”. The nation demands ministers who perform, deliver, and lead. Anything less is a dereliction of duty.

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