Minister of Finance Unfolds Plans to Downsize FG’s Workforce

Indication has emerged that the Federal Government is set to downsize its workforce.

Mrs Zainab Ahmed, minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, who disclosed this, noted that reducing the size of government has become imperative given the huge amount the government spends on recurrent expenditure annually.

Mrs Ahmed declared that some Federal Government workers will lose their jobs when agencies are merged.

The Minister revealed that Federal Government’s mode of reducing the workforce will not entirely be in line with the Stephen Oronsaye report but based on a committee recommendation.

Accordingly, she said that the government is working on an “exit package” to be paid to those that will be affected.

Mrs Ahmed said: “There is a special committee led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) that is working on the review of agencies with the view to collapsing them partly using the Oransanye report.

“At the end of it what we want to do is to reduce the size of government and also to reduce the size of personnel cost and part of it will be designing the exit packages that are realistic”.

The finance minister, said the reason for the planned merger of agencies, is because “we are revenue-challenged”.