Expenditures

Operating our government incurs exorbitant costs. The federal bureaucracy has become excessively large, leading to a situation where non-debt recurring expenses, predominantly personnel costs amounting to N9.92 trillion, accounts for more than 36% of the national budget for 2024.

We had to borrow N9.18 trillion to feed this beast. This not only strains resources but often leads to corruption and inefficiency. On a per capita basis, we outspend many countries in maintaining an oversized government bureaucracy and a dysfunctional national assembly, both of which offer minimal benefit to the Nigerian populace.

My leadership will focus on significantly downsizing the government and reducing the expenses associated with running this bloated bureaucracy and the national assembly. We are committed to implementing the following strategic measures to significantly reduce the expenses associated with operating the government and national assembly:

Streamline and Optimize the Federal Government

1. Redesign and Optimize the Federal Structure. We will embrace the power of technology to automate and optimize government processes, targeting a 30% reduction in the federal workforce over a phased period. Additionally, an extensive evaluation will result in the merger of various ministries, leading to the closure of any redundant or overlapping ministries and agencies. This process might necessitate both an executive order and legislative consultation. We have identified 25 ministries slated for consolidation or elimination.We have identified areas to cut the cost of running the federal bureaucracy and save $3 billion per year.

Reform National Assembly Operations:

1. Cut Expenditure. We will implement a 67% reduction in the excessive expenses associated with the national assembly. We will align senators’ compensation with international standards, setting it at $150,000 per year, yielding an annual saving of approximately $33 million. We will adjust House of Rep members’ total compensation to $120,000 per year, translating to an annual saving of around $97 million. We will challenge the entitlement mindset by encouraging an ethos of service over privilege.
2. Terminate Government-paid Overseas Healthcare: We will terminate government-paid foreign medical treatments for all government workers and politicians to promote trust in and utilization of our local healthcare system.

Introduce Term Limits in Government Positions:

1. Rotational Administration Policy: To foster a constant infusion of fresh perspectives and approaches in governance, officials occupying senior federal roles will be systematically rotated across various administrative positions annually. This strategy is aimed at preventing complacency and entrenchment in any single office. This may also reduce corruption.
2. Eliminate the Permanent Secretary Role: Under my administration, the position of permanent secretaries within federal ministries will be phased out as it is no longer relevant. The function of permanent secretaries has devolved into a conduit for normalizing corrupt practices and poor governance. Their traditional function of ensuring continuity will be overtaken by technology, along with the introduction of new roles and responsibilities.