Presidential retreat ends; Cabinet set for swearing-in, Ministerial Mandates

The two-day retreat hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari came to an end on Tuesday, with a charge from the President to the Ministers-designate to rise to the challenging responsibilities of Ministerial office.

The second and final day kicked off with a presentation on Cabinet Processes and Procedures, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha. This was followed by a presentation by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on aligning government policies with the ideology, manifesto and campaign promises of the ruling party.

Subsequent presentations touched on Budgeting, Civil Service Reforms, Public Procurement, the Relationships between Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, and Effective Partnerships between Executive, Legislature and State Governments.

The SGF in his remarks announced the introduction of a new Cabinet Memorandum Review and Approval Process, aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of government decision-making and policy implementation, and increasing coordination and coherence within the Government.

President Buhari in his closing remarks, reminded participants that the challenges ahead of the Administration remain significant, and urged them to work collaboratively and purposefully, and give their best to the task of delivering a more prosperous country for all Nigerians.

The Ministers-designate will be sworn in on Wednesday August 21, at the State House, after which they will be allocated portfolios by the President.

Following the swearing-in, each Minister will be given a Mandate, based on the assigned Ministry, and which will spell out priorities, deliverables and timelines. In addition, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework will also be put in place to track the implementation of all policies and programmes over the next four years.