Drawing inspiration from the British satire Yes, Prime Minister, author Usman Sarki reflects on whether government ministries truly serve their intended purpose or have become stagnant bureaucratic hurdles. While these institutions are designed to manage national responsibilities, their existence in Nigeria often feels performative rather than productive.
Ministries should function as specialized instruments for public service, addressing vital areas like education, health, and infrastructure. However, the Nigerian model frequently defaults to creating more departments and agencies when faced with challenges, rather than ensuring current institutions deliver results. This leads to a bloated government architecture that prioritizes administrative activity over meaningful development.
Sarki highlights several key sectors where this failure is evident. For instance, despite having a Ministry of Education, millions of children remain out of school. Similarly, ministries for health, power, and agriculture often fail to translate their existence into tangible improvements for citizens. Even sectors like humanitarian affairs, youth development, and aviation struggle to move beyond ceremonial duties or simple oversight, failing to become strategic drivers of national growth.
The fundamental issue is that many of these bodies have lost their sense of measurable purpose. They engage in meetings, retreats, and report writing, which creates an illusion of progress without producing actual results. When ministries prioritize procedural rituals over accountability, they cease to be vehicles for governance and become obstacles to the very people they serve. Ultimately, the nation must stop confusing the expansion of bureaucracy with the success of government.
