By Nafisat Makinde
The Nigerian Senate, led by Senator Osita Ngwu, has directed its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to investigate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) compliance with the federal character principle. Abuja, March 25, 2025.
According to Senator Ngwu, “systemic abuse” has become a persistent challenge in achieving balance and equity within Nigeria’s public service. He emphasized that Section 14(3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended, mandates fair representation in federal appointments to reflect linguistic, religious, and geographic diversity of the nation.
“The quota system has, in many cases, created confusion between merit-based recruitment and equitable state representation, to the detriment of discipline, morale, and institutional efficiency,” Senator Ngwu said. “This has led to a situation where certain regions are under-represented, while others are over-represented.”
Senator Ngwu noted that Order 96(27)(b) of Senate Rule 2023 grants the committee power to conduct legislative oversight on matters related to implementation and monitoring of policy on federal character.
He expressed concern that the process of addressing public sector disparities has been undermined by institutional inertia and a lack of accountability, particularly as recruitment at senior levels is influenced more by internal preferences than by merit and fairness.
“The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounts for 1.00 per cent of the workforce, while catchment areas are to address localized recruitment for junior staff up to 75 per cent of positions,” Senator Ngwu explained.
He alleged that various federal institutions have consistently failed to adhere to federal character mandates, often bypassing regulations in their recruitment exercise.
Senator Ngwu specifically mentioned several agencies that have failed to comply with federal character mandates, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The investigation was necessitated by the need to address the systemic abuse and ineffective implementation of the federal character principle in Nigeria’s public sector, which has led to imbalances and disparities in representation.
The Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs will conduct the investigation and report back to the Senate within three months. The committee will examine the recruitment processes and policies of MDAs to ensure compliance with the federal character principle.
By directing this investigation, the Senate aims to ensure that MDAs adhere to the federal character principle, promoting fairness, equity, and representation in Nigeria’s public sector.
