Presidency Pushes Ministerial Accountability
The upcoming release of performance scorecards for Nigeria’s federal ministries marks a significant milestone as President Bola Tinubu’s administration approaches its midterm on May 29, 2025.
The assessments, which cover the first quarter of the year, are expected to intensify scrutiny on underperforming ministries and reinforce the President’s commitment to accountability in governance.
According to sources within the presidency who spoke with Punch, the evaluations—currently being finalised—could be presented to President Tinubu at any moment.
Ministries that have fallen short of expectations are reportedly feeling the pressure as the results draw near.
The Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), led by Hadiza Bala-Usman, has been tasked with overseeing these quarterly evaluations.
The unit is rigorously verifying performance reports submitted by ministries, which include documentation of key projects, policy achievements, and progress on strategic goals.
Insiders familiar with the review process revealed that early findings show only a handful of ministries have surpassed expectations, while several others are performing at an average level. “Some ministries are not meeting their targets, and that’s becoming increasingly clear,” a senior source noted.
While no immediate changes are expected following the release of the report, the findings will provide President Tinubu with a clearer picture of his cabinet’s effectiveness.
This aligns with the President’s earlier warning at the 2023 cabinet retreat, where he stressed that ministerial roles would be subject to performance-based reviews.
“If you are performing, nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If there’s no performance, you leave us,” Tinubu had said. “No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk.”
In October 2024, Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet, removing two ministers deemed ineffective just 16 months into their tenure.
That decision was reportedly informed by prior assessments from the CDCU, which guided the reallocation of roles and helped shape presidential strategy.
Appointed in June 2023 as Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Bala-Usman has since modelled the CDCU after similar institutions in the UK and Rwanda.
Its mandate includes tracking key performance indicators, issuing quarterly scorecards, and flagging critical projects for presidential attention.
In a February 2025 interview on TVC, Bala-Usman emphasised that the CDCU’s scorecards are designed to drive real outcomes—not merely academic exercises.
“These quarterly reviews directly inform presidential decisions,” she said, revealing that past reports have already led to strategic conversations and realignment within at least three ministries.
To strengthen the credibility of the process, over 140 personnel from 35 federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) were trained in early 2024.
These officials—mainly directors and planning officers—played a key role in collecting and evaluating data, ensuring that the assessments are both thorough and accurate.
As Tinubu enters the second half of his term, these evaluations signal a growing emphasis on measurable governance and performance-driven leadership at the federal level.
Presidency Pushes Ministerial Accountability