Nigeria FG: Demands MDA Performance Accountability, Warns Against Poor Performance

• The Federal Government has warned MDAs against poor performance, demanding accountability and measurable results.
• Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu of PEBEC delivered this warning at a Federal Ministry of Finance event in Abuja.
• Monitoring mechanisms like mystery shopping and a live performance tracker will ensure continuous scrutiny of MDA performance.
• The Federal Ministry of Finance will consider MDA performance and reform compliance in its future engagements.
• PEBEC will continue to use data-driven monitoring to ensure sustainable outcomes, as compliance on paper is no longer sufficient.

The clear message conveyed to MDAs is that performance monitoring will be continuous, compliance will be measurable, and every agency must be prepared to account for its results.

The Nigerian Federal Government has issued a stern warning to its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), emphasizing that poor performance will no longer be tolerated. Public institutions are now expected to demonstrate robust accountability and deliver tangible, measurable results, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s firm stance against non-performance. This directive underscores a significant shift towards demanding greater efficiency and responsiveness from government entities.

This critical message was delivered by Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), during a high-level strategic engagement and press briefing. The event, hosted by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, focused on “MDA Data Collection & Harmonisation.” Audu’s statement, issued on a Friday in Abuja, highlighted the government's commitment to improving institutional performance, enhancing data management practices, and ensuring strict compliance with ongoing government reforms.

During the engagement, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu presented key findings from the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator. While the assessment revealed that 16 federal MDAs had successfully achieved full implementation of the reforms under evaluation, a concerning trend emerged from recent mystery shopping exercises. These findings indicated a noticeable decline in responsiveness among some agencies once active monitoring ceased, raising significant questions about the sustainability of reforms and the genuine commitment of these institutions to uphold standards without constant oversight.

Audu explicitly informed MDA heads that their performance would remain under continuous scrutiny. This includes ongoing mystery shopping exercises, a live performance tracker, and an upcoming end-of-year Business Facilitation Act Compliance Ranking. These robust monitoring mechanisms are specifically designed to provide uninterrupted visibility into institutional performance, pinpoint service delivery gaps, and ensure that MDAs are held fully accountable for their reform commitments. The Business Facilitation Act itself provides a crucial framework for enhancing the ease of doing business in Nigeria by promoting more efficient and responsive government processes.

The clear message conveyed to MDAs is that performance monitoring will be continuous, compliance will be measurable, and every agency must be prepared to account for its results. This renewed focus on Nigeria FG MDA performance accountability signifies a pivotal shift in how government entities are expected to operate. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance, in particular, will increasingly prioritize institutional performance, responsiveness, and adherence to reforms when engaging and dealing with various government agencies.

This strategic approach directly supports President Bola Tinubu’s zero-tolerance stance on non-performance and the Federal Government’s overarching determination to ensure that public institutions deliver measurable improvements in services for both citizens and businesses. PEBEC has affirmed its commitment to deploying a comprehensive suite of tools, including mystery shopping, real-time digital tracking, compliance assessments, and data-driven performance monitoring. The aim is to bolster transparency, identify implementation gaps, and ultimately translate reform commitments into sustainable outcomes, moving beyond mere paper compliance.

Lawyers advising entities interacting with Nigerian MDAs, or compliance officers within MDAs, must anticipate heightened scrutiny, continuous performance monitoring (including mystery shopping), and data-driven assessments. Non-compliance or poor performance by MDAs will directly impact their engagements with the Federal Ministry of Finance and could lead to adverse consequences, necessitating proactive measures to ensure demonstrable adherence to reforms and service delivery standards.

Source: Original reporting via government statement and press briefing